


Family

by rarepairqueen



Series: The Assassins AU (to be renamed one day) [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alchemy, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Feels, Assassins & Hitmen, Attempt at Humor, Blood and Violence, Disturbing Themes, Dragons, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Magic-Users, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Other, long fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-04-30 07:10:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 61
Words: 230,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14491563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarepairqueen/pseuds/rarepairqueen
Summary: The Brotherhood faces an impossible situation as pasts collide and old ghosts come back to haunt them. No-one is any closer to stopping the Blue Serpents from threatening the realm and a dangerous war of words between two kingdoms has every chance to escalate into violence.Somehow The Brotherhood must hold its ground and stay true to their values as they attempt to pick apart the chain of events that led to such disharmony. They may not have signed up to help heal deep wounds and settle old scores but with their foes growing stronger by the day, they need both kingdoms to set aside the past and focus on the future.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My 2018 was very much focused on writing this part of this saga. And along the way I ended up curating a playlist (like I did with Brotherhood) and it can be found here if you want to check out what music influenced the writing: [Family Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/stardustz6/playlist/56slCp78i0RsEotP6V1ofJ?si=Jychu-e3SxafB0oqrTZU0w)

_'Family doesn't end in blood, but it doesn't start there either'_

_-Dean Winchester_

 

**Prologue**

The metal clinking sounded louder to him than usual. Buckles were fastened, cords tightened, the silence amongst the handmaids was almost deafening. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. His father had only been dead three days and he was already being referred to as 'his majesty'. He'd known that it was going to be hard to take his father's place, but it was his duty as the heir, the Crown Prince of House Oikawa. He hadn't appreciated how heavy the fur-lined robes would feel. The crown would feel even heavier.

"Your father would be proud Tooru."

He nodded, throat feeling tight as if someone was squeezing and refusing to let him breathe. He took a ragged breath and forced a smile.

"Yeah, I know he would be."

The woman smiled though her eyes were sorrowful, taking a step back and looking him up and down. She adjusted the heavy cape sitting on his shoulders with dainty fingers, loosening the brass buckles slightly before stepping back again and nodding.

"Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

Tooru worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a split second. "What kind of king do you think I’ll be? Do you think I’ll be a good one?”

A hand came up to cup his cheek, he met her soft gaze with his hand and held back the sob that was threatening to break free. He couldn’t afford to be seen crying now, his kingdom was mourning enough as it was.

"I think you'll be a king who our people will put their trust in, who they'll follow wherever you take them. You're of House Oikawa, Tooru, our sigil is the phoenix remember?"

"Yes."

"It is said in the legends that a phoenix represents loyalty, kindness and justice," she smiled, rubbing her thumb over the rise of his cheekbone. “as the leader of this house, you will have to decide when it is the time for each. Do not fret over it though, let your instinct guide you. You’re a son of House Oikawa, Tooru, it’s in your blood to lead us to greatness.” She let her hand fall as the silence hung in the air.

He nodded, the tightness in his chest easing as he brought his hands together and he toyed with the ring that once adorned his father's hand; the thick golden band with an engraving of a fiery bird on it. His mother took his hand, bringing it to her lip and planting a chaste kiss on the ring.

"You'll do great things Tooru," She whispered. "I know you will."

A knock at the door refocused him. He gently pulled his hand away and sighed slightly. "Enter" He called without glancing over his shoulder. His mother smiled and nodded in parting before ushering the handmaids away and leaving him alone with his visitor. There was a long pause before footsteps began to approach him.

"So, big day today." The familiar voice further put him at ease. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the young man who stepped beside him. The kind smile of his childhood friend briefly made him forget the seriousness of the day's events.

"Yeah, not like I'm about to take over an entire kingdom before I'm twenty." He remarked, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

The other shook his head slightly, chainmail rattling as he paced the room. The daylight that streamed through the windows caught the iron chest piece, the red details glinting and making the house crest stand out against silver plating.

"You're going to be fine Tooru."

"You say that Hajime..." He sighed, turning to fully face the knight, a young face with kind eyes met his gaze. "but I don't even know where to start. I have bandits running rampant, the northern kingdom is creeping south with their border, there are murmurings of the empire expanding with no challengers...and then there's that rumour someone has taken up residence in the old eastern kingdom."

Iwaizumi nodded. "It's a lot, I admit. But if anyone is suited to tackle all of those things, it's you." He stepped forward, closing the gap between prince and knight as he took Tooru's hands in his. "And I'll be here every step of the way, every court appearance, every war council meeting, every night of debate. I'll be here."

Tooru smiled, squeezing the hands that held his, hands that were rough from combat yet soft whenever they touched him. It wasn't a foreign sensation to him.

"Here as my Royal Guard?"

Iwaizumi ducked his head as his cheeks took on a rosy glow. "I swore myself into your service when we were fifteen summers old. Both as your knight and your lover. But first and foremost I am your friend, and as your friend I will be here to guide you through whatever we face, to stand by you no matter the challenge...and if needs be, give your royal ass a kick if you're being unreasonable."

"You have such a way with words Iwa." Tooru dryly replied before a small laugh escaped him. "But thank you...I would be lost without you."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not going anywhere then." Iwaizumi squeezed his hands. "They're going to be waiting for you downstairs."

Tooru nodded, letting Iwaizumi's hands slip away from his. He turned back to the mirrored glass he had been watching his reflection in; though the royal robes and freshly scrubbed skin could fool everyone into thinking he was well and truely born to rule, he couldn't help but feel it had all happened too quickly. His father's death had been untimely, no-one knew how he became so ill so quickly. When Tooru had been summoned to his bedside in the early hours of the morning, they knew a new era was dawning.

All they needed was a phoenix to drop out of the sky to properly signal it, however things weren’t exactly prosperous for the kingdom so that was very unlikely to happen.

"Eighteen summers old and about to be crowned king of the kingdom..." He murmured, reflection shifting as he reached out and placed a hand against the cool glass. "Promise me something Hajime?"

"Sure, what?"

"Don't call me 'your majesty' in private." Tooru glanced over his shoulder and met Iwaizumi's pensive gaze. "You said you're my friend first and foremost, friends don't use official titles when they're alone."

The knight nodded, smiling as his hand went to his sword, he had a habit of holding onto the hilt when in thought. "Sure Tooru, I'll keep the titles for the court."

"Thank you Hajime." Tooru sighed in relief.

"Speaking of which, the coronation isn't going to complete itself..." Iwaizumi remarked with a smile. "Come on, the sooner it's done, the better."

Tooru pouted slightly, making Iwaizumi chuckle before he stepped closer and placed a gentle kiss onto soft lips. He felt the prince relax before pulling away.

"Okay," Tooru smiled, looking more sure of himself than before. "send word to the court. I'm ready."

"As you wish." Iwaizumi bowed before quickly pacing over to the door. "By the way," he paused with his hand on the handle "you look stunning today."

 


	2. Growth

**I**  
  
**Growth**

 

"So, you reckon you can hit it?"

"Yeah!"

"I don't believe you."

"Pft, just watch me."

The crackling of ice forming resonated off the walls of the armoury, Hinata frowned in concentration as he held his hand in front of him and focused on shaping the ball of packed ice. Bokuto and Kuroo watched with smirks as Kunimi reminded Hinata to keep his shoulders relaxed when he flicked his wrist to throw the projectile.

"Hit the target, and we'll buy you a drink in the next tavern we stop in." Kuroo declared.

"Deal!" Hinata replied, squaring up to launch the ball of ice. The target that hung from the ceiling on heavy chains had seen much better days; the packed straw was singed in several places thanks to flaming arrows and fireballs hitting it, the iron chains were rusting from the melted ice and there were several indents from battle-axes and throwing knives.

"Back straight, shoulders relaxed." Kunimi reminded the mage, watching as Hinata rotated his wrist in preparation.

Hinata nodded, sticking his tongue out as he pulled his arm back. With a low grunt, he threw the ball, the chains rattled as the target swung with the impact, shards of ice embedded in the straw whilst the rest of the ball fell to the stone floor with a thud. Bokuto laughed and high-fived Hinata in celebration as Kuroo groaned.

"That's four drinks we owe him now." He uttered to the other.

"Yeah, but Suga will kill you if he gets drunk." Bokuto remarked as Hinata started asking Kunimi if he had done well. The sentry snorted and nodded, not nearly as enthusiastic as Hinata, but the small smile on his face gave away how he really felt.

"Alright," Kuroo recaptured Hinata's attention "so you can hit the target with fire and ice, what about lightning?"

The young mage smiled, inhaling deeply and rolling his shoulders. "Nishinoya hadn't had time to properly teach me about making weapons out of it yet, but I can try."

Once again, Hinata held out his hand, this time feeling the sharp sting that he had grown accustomed to prickling at his fingertips. The burns still appeared occasionally but it was nothing Kenma's many poultices couldn't fix, it was a small price to pay to wield an element as dangerous as light itself. Sparks flew between his fingers, crackling and making the hairs on his arms stand on end. They started in quick bursts before steadying and slowly beginning to morph together, the best he could do right now was a short jagged bolt of lightning. Much like his daggers made of fire, he could see the individual bolts of lightning crackling together to form the much larger object.

"Hit the bullseye." Kuroo challenged. "Dead on."

Kunimi cast a glance to the doorway and saw Kiyoko watching with a calm smile, arms folded across her chest as she leaned against the slanted door frame. Her presence went unnoticed by the other three as Hinata deemed his lightning projectile complete and gripped it tightly in his grasp. Like before, he pulled his arm back as if he was going to stab someone before launching it into the air.

A loud boom almost like thunder echoed off the walls of the armoury, a sound somewhat normal by now with so many mages - and slightly eccentric alchemists - under one roof. Yet it still made them all startle. Bokuto was the first to recover, laughing and pointing at the new singe mark in the target right in the centre.

"You owe him five drinks now bro." He gleefully told Kuroo.

"Fuck sake..." Kuroo sighed over-dramatically, grabbing Hinata in a headlock and ruffling his hair. "You're going to to ruin me one day kiddo."

Hinata laughed, wriggling out of Kuroo's grasp and hopping out of reach. Kunimi rolled his eyes as he let out a small chuckle, not quite wanting to laugh as loudly as Bokuto was. The sound of boots on stone caught everyone's attention, Kiyoko giggled as she paced over, hands behind her back as the chainmail clinked in time with her footsteps.

"I'm not here to scold you." She remarked when all four males exchanged a guilty glance. "I just came to tell you that Suga's going to be back from hunting soon and would probably appreciate some help unloading Hotaru.

"Psh, can't Yaku help him?" Bokuto asked, immediately looking for something to do in the armoury so he could avoid being a responsible adult.  
  
"He's still out on a job with Akaashi, they won't be back until tomorrow." Kiyoko shrugged.

Kuroo sighed, cuffing Hinata on the ear as he moved towards the door. "C'mon Hinata, we can make ourselves useful."

Hinata nodded, following Kuroo through the cooking area and out into the courtyard. Kindaichi was mucking out one of the empty stalls as they waited for Suga to return. The brisk breeze that whipped in and around the uncovered clearing made Hinata regret not wearing more layers of clothing. Kuroo showed no sign of being affected as he paced on the mud, arms completely uncovered save for the leather bracers adorning his wrists. Leaves crunched under their boots as they waited, crows cawed overhead as they circled, grey clouds brought the promise of rain and possibly howling winds.

"You reckon it'll snow this winter?" Kuroo asked Kindaichi as he wandered over.

"Possibly, can never tell." Kindaichi replied, wiping his hands on his pant-legs. "Probably ought to start the stockpile of food."

Hinata considered the idea of staying with the guild for the winter. He had sent letter home to tell his mother about his crazy adventures - leaving out the murder aspect so not to worry her too much - and the people he was currently living with. It was easy to explain they were mercenaries who preferred not to draw attention to themselves than the reality. She had written back as best she could, keeping him informed of all the comings and goings of the village, a reminder from his elder to harness his powers and only use them for good.

He missed his home, his family, his old way of life, but he also valued what he had stumbled upon within the guild. There was a sense of adventure every day, a new thing to learn be it a new way to conjure an element or an old scrap of long-lost knowledge from an ancient text. He loved being able to use his powers without fear of strange looks - except from Kunimi but he was used to that by now - he enjoyed getting to ride along the shoreline of the lake in the middle of the night - because Nishinoya wanted to 'get some air' and that somehow meant sneaking out of the guild at night which was slightly taboo. He felt like this brotherhood was truely becoming his second family, a family that he would be reluctant to leave.

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Kuroo's response drew Hinata back into the conversation. "As long as we don't get a freak blizzard like the first year you were here."

Kindaichi smirked. "Yeah, if i recall that's when Daichi and Suga--"

"Don't bring that up." Kuroo groaned, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Why not? At least they were upfront about wanting to fuck, you had to get Akaashi to crossdress--"

Hinata watched as Kindaichi ducked out of the way of Kuroo's half-hearted punch. Laughter from both parties resonated off the stone walls as Kuroo sighed in defeat, cheeks a little rosier than before but he would blame it on the chill in the air. The summer season had long since faded away, the harvest season was barely clinging on as the cold grip of the winter began to tighten on the land. The nights were long and dark, winds swirled and howled through forests, valleys and mountain passes. The guild being built into the side of a hill helped keep the worst of the wind out, but the fire was always roaring, meaning sourcing firewood was becoming an issue.

"Tomorrow I'm going to Okukoshi with Kiyoko and Kunimi, you need anything?" Kuroo declared.

"Uhh..." Kindaichi glanced over his shoulder at the empty horse stalls, all four horses were out on trips making the stable look emptier than usual. "Straw is always good, and if you find any apples then that'll go down well with them."

"Sure thing, we'll take the cart. Our main goal is lumber for the fire and to beef up the support beams ahead of any heavy snow."

"And Kenma wants parchment." Hinata piped up.

"Yes, his majesty the grand alchemist wants parchment." Kuroo sighed, overdramaticising the task and making the other two laugh.

The sound of a lever being thrown abruptly ended the conversation, the grinding of stone that was now familiar to Hinata still made his spine crawl a little as the rock face shifted and began to lift. Suga greeted them with a tired smile and coaxed Hotaru into the clearing, her back laden with game from his day-long hunt. Hinata was quick to start untying the rabbits from where they hung on lengths of rope draped over the horse’s neck, Kuroo stepped up to help lift the deer carcass that was draped over the saddle.

"Looks like that stockpile is gonna be started tonight." Kuroo remarked as he realised how heavy the animal was.

"No kidding, this buck was tough to put down." Suga huffed. "Startled four rabbits as it came crashing to a halt."

"Still, got a lot of meat on him."

With the game all stripped from her saddle, Hotaru was led towards the stables by Kindaichi. Hinata hurried to follow Suga and Kuroo inside with the rabbits in hopes he wouldn't be asked to help skin them, he never did have a strong stomach. Luckily for him, Kunimi was on hand and he was more than happy to get his hands dirty with the bloody task.

"If you want something to do," Suga said as he noticed Hinata hovering in the doorway looking anxious over the aspect of having to skin a rabbit. "Kenma was supposed to be telling me if there's a better way of preserving meat over long periods of time."

Hinata jumped at the opportunity to escape the chore of food preparation. He nodded eagerly and made his way to a much quieter part of the guild. In the months following his untimely departure from his home, Moniwa had settled into Kenma's room quickly. His collection of texts and books added much more information to Kenma's cove of knowledge, so much so that the bookcases were now bursting at the seams. He had also proven to be very good at working out why some of Kenma's alchemy recipes failed to work as intended.

So it was no surprise to Hinata to walk into the room and find the two of them pouring over a vial of bright green liquid and murmuring about its possible effects.

"Ah Shoyo." Kenma smiled, passing the vial to Moniwa before turning his full attention to the other mage. "We were just brewing what we hope will be an antidote to the winter fever."

"Winter fever..." Hinata repeated.

"Yes, loss of voice, headaches, runny noses...all commonly known as the winter fever."

Hinata raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly. "Huh, well my mother just made me this soup out of mushrooms and wild flowers...that always seemed to work."

Moniwa frowned slightly. "Mushrooms?"

"Yeah, our village was one of the only places you could get the specific kind...I think."

Kenma picked up a piece of parchment that appeared to be a recipe of sorts, Hinata didn't get a good glimpse at it before the alchemist folded it up and slid it inside one of many books littering the large table. "Is there something you need Shoyo?"

For a few moments Hinata seemed lost in his thoughts before remembering Suga's request. He relayed the information to the duo expecting an immediate response to take back, instead Kenma merely gave him a pensive look.

"Tanaka and Nishinoya are currently looking for some herbs, I hopeful that one of them might help." He replied eventually. "Most butchers use salt, but that's another thing we're running short on...and a lot of others will be looking to clear the merchants out."

"So...shall I tell Suga that you don't have anything yet?" Hinata asked.

"I have some thoughts, but nothing physical to offer."

Hinata nodded, preparing to leave the two of them to perfecting their antidote when Kenma requested him to hold on a moment. He watched as the other went over to the ornate chest that he kept his collection of runestones in and rummaged around a little. Moniwa seemed unfazed by the loud clinking sounds of stones hitting each other and Kenma's muttering, simply examining the bright green solution in the vial in silence.

"Here we are." Kenma sighed, closing the chest and walking back around the table to Hinata. In his hands was a silver chain, thicker and more sturdy than the usual chains that would be attached to pendants but Hinata soon saw why; three runestones hung from the chain, one yellow, one red and one light blue, each secured in place with woven leather and chiselled to look more appealing. "Here."

"For me?" Hinata held out his shaking hands to accept the gift. "What...why?"

"Your last runestone was only useful for your fire element," Kenma explained "and it's caused you to pass out several times due to it overcharging. So I made you a new chain to wear, this one should benefit all three of your elements and also spread any magic charge between them so you don't pass out again."

Hinata's eyes were wide as he examined each stone in turn; they caught the light of the candles on their sharp edges as he turned them over in his fingers. "Kenma, I...thank-you!"

Kenma smiled, watching as Hinata eagerly put it on and grinned when the three stones bumped against his tunic. "I'm glad you like it."

"You're the best Kenma."

"Am not, but I try my best." He shrugged. “Now I need to get back to my alchemy so—”

“Say no more!” Hinata grinned. “See you later Kenma, you too Moniwa!” He waved as he scampered out of the room. He made a beeline for the armoury where Bokuto was looking over a set of gauntlets that had seen much better days.

Whilst everyone was expected to pull their weight in the guild; there was a certain relaxed nature about it all. As long as Hinata did a few simple chores each day, he was more than permitted to hone his powers and hang out with his new found friends. One of his favourite things to do was watch Bokuto experiment with new weapons and armour, sometimes he would even help by firing elemental projectiles at the practice dummy.

“So, these are gonna be for Kunimi, assuming I can get him to wear them.” Bokuto explained as he held up the battered leather. “The idea is that they’ll protect his fingers from both swords and fire.”

“Uh-huh…why? He has gauntlets already?” Hinata cocked his head to the side as he sat cross-legged on the table next to Bokuto’s main workbench.

“True, but he only has one pair and they’re a little…” Bokuto made a slightly disgusted face “y’know, they’re not very good quality.”

“You mean they’re old?”

“They’re made of leather and only leather. That’ll do fuck all against a sword-wielding maniac set on chopping off his hands entirely.” Bokuto waved the gauntlet around as if it was Kunimi’s severed hand. “So, I’ve altered these to have a thin plating of steel. It’ll at least stop the poor kid having his fingers chopped off.”

“It’ll also means he can pack a mean punch.” Kuroo’s voice came from the doorway. “Also good luck trying to get him to wear them. He’ll come up with an excuse about them being ‘too heavy’ and messing up his aim.”

Bokuto puffed out his cheeks in frustration. “Well,” He sighed. “I ain’t making fake hands for him when he loses his to a—”

“Sword-wielding maniac.” Kuroo finished. “I heard, in fact everyone in the kitchen heard, including Kunimi.”

“Good!” Bokuto was still waving the gauntlet around as he spoke, prompting Hinata to try his hardest not to burst out laughing, especially as Kuroo couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face as he was confronted with the article of armour. “Maybe he’ll appreciate me trying to prevent him dying!”

“He’s a stubborn kid.” Kuroo shrugged, battling the desire to laugh at Bokuto’s unimpressed expression. “And uh, feel free to try and force him into them.”

Hinata laughed as Bokuto snorted and shoved the gauntlet into Kuroo’s hands. “You’re the guild leader, you can make him wear them.” He grinned.

Kuroo raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Alright, I’ll get him to try them out, you got the other one?”

Bokuto handed the second altered gauntlet to him with a smug grin. Hinata laughed as the two regarded each other with amused smiles before Kuroo turned and left to seek out the sentry.

“Hope he doesn’t get murdered.” Bokuto shrugged, turning back to Hinata. “Now, where were we at on your fire-proof armour…”

 

 


	3. Concern

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I addressed this in a comment of the last chapter, but just so it's on record; I intend to update weekly on a Sunday evening (occasionally Mondays if I become busy).

**II**

**Concern**

Daichi sighed as he finished putting away the last of the completed contracts. Only one piece of parchment lay on the table in his room, the one detailing where Yaku and Akaashi were currently. The guild was living comfortably after a few high paying jobs, there hadn't been any disasters or screw-ups in a while so the money kept coming in.

Kiyoko's induction into the guild had thrown some of them off, mainly because she wasn't totally on board with being part of an assassin's guild. Daichi and Kuroo had listened to her reasoning and as a result the focus of the guild was slightly shifted towards petty thievery and mercenary work, that didn't mean they stopped killing people of course, but it did broaden their client base. He had to admit, being able to go out on jobs that didn't involve slaughtering someone did feel somewhat more satisfying. It was also a lot less dangerous, he felt more at ease sending Hinata on petty theft jobs than full-on assassinations.

A knock at the door drew him out of his thoughts, he paced over and opened the door to find Kunimi there. He smiled warmly at the other and gestured for him to enter.

"How are you doing Kunimi?" He asked, closing the door softly once Kunimi had walked into the room.

"Alright." Kunimi shrugged. "Going to Okukoshi tomorrow with Kuroo and Kiyoko to help gather some supplies."

Daichi nodded. After the trip to Kaiganzoimura, there was a lot of things to discuss between the brothers. Throughout the trip east a lot of things had been said and issues had reared their ugly heads more than once. As a result, Suga suggested that each other brothers have some one-on-one time with either Daichi or Kuroo to talk through some of their worries. It proved to be useful for some of them, others were a little hesitant to bear all to the guild leaders.

"Good, I hear you've been helping Hinata in regards to his ranged combat?"

Kunimi smiled slightly, averting his gaze from the other. "Yeah, he's learning quickly. He hit the target in the armoury with all three elements today...now Kuroo and Bokuto owe him like five drinks."

Daichi laughed, prompting Kunimi to chuckle slightly. "Of course. Bokuto and Kuroo can't resist making everything into a bet huh."

"No, I mean I tried to tell them it was a bad idea,"

"They don't listen to reason." Daichi shrugged. “Anything else happen today?

Kunimi glanced over the parchment on the table as he thought. “Bokuto made me some new gauntlets, reinforced with steel plating to protect my fingers from ‘sword-wielding maniacs’.” He snorted. “Kuroo basically harassed me until I agreed to put them on and try them out.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, they’re decent I guess. I’ll have to retrain my aim though, the added weight throws everything off slightly. Suga would have a similar problem, say if he changed up his bow.” Kunimi held out his hands, adorned with the new garment; they were the standard leather fingerless gloves that he preferred to use except Bokuto had added steel plating to each knuckle and on the back of his hands extending down to his wrists. In all honesty he didn’t dislike them, but he wasn’t exactly overjoyed at the prospect of retraining his reflexes.

“Well Hinata still needs putting through his paces right?” Daichi asked. “You’ve been doing well at mentoring him with Akaashi.”

Kunimi shrugged. “Yaku trained me to be ruthless at what I do, and Hinata did ask me personally to teach him how to throw the shurikens when we were out east.”

There was no doubt about it that whilst Kunimi wasn’t a particularly huge fan of mages, he was one of the ideal mentors for Hinata. Nishinoya could only teach him so much in regards to magic wielding and Akaashi was a more close-quarters combatant. Kunimi however was used to using stealth and avoiding most of the heavy hits; much like Hinata would have to learn to be given how small he was.

Daichi nodded. “Well, if there’s nothing you wanna discuss with me, I guess we’re done for this talk.”

There was a pause as Kunimi glanced back at the parchment. His gaze lingered on the carefully inked words that gave enough information to go on but not enough to give them away if they fell into the wrong hands. Daichi waited with curiosity, there were more than a few times that the rest of the guild wasn’t sure what Kunimi was thinking behind his mask of indifference. He was a lot like Kenma in that respect.

“When are Yaku and Akaashi due back?” He asked eventually.

“Uh, tomorrow night I believe?” Daichi rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe sooner if they got it done quickly.”

“Looking for more leads on the Blue Serpents?”

“We’re still trying to find the woman that Hinata overheard talking about House Kageyama, yeah.” Daichi sighed. “She’s proving to be elusive.”

Kunimi snorted. “If she’s as smart as we’re giving her credit for, she’s long gone. It was a happy accident we even stumbled across her.”

Daichi chuckled slightly. “Happy isn’t exactly what I would call it…a tip-off from Misaki after her first mate heard a comment in a tavern.”

Tearing his gaze away from the parchment, Kunimi looked up at Daichi with his usual indifferent expression. “Either way, our goal these days is pretty obvious; get rid of them.”

“Well, it’s a part of it. We’re still a guild of thieves, assassins and general public nuisances.” Daichi smiled, trying to play off the seriousness of the apparent goal of the guild. “Just focus on retraining your reflexes and guiding Hinata, yeah?”

Kunimi nodded, smiling slightly. “Sure, maybe we’ll be able to trust him out in the open soon.”

“Oh gods don’t make me think about all the things that could go wrong there…” Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose as Kunimi laughed slightly. He watched as Kunimi excused himself and saw himself out of the room, leaving Daichi to mull over the conversation.

* * *

 

Getting the entire guild to sit down and eat together proved a slightly challenging task given the size of the main room. With fourteen of them now trying to cram around one firepit with bowls and tankards in hand, it wasn't unusual for it to feel overcrowded. No-one really complained though, occasionally there was the odd grumble from Daichi about the amount of squabbling over the few benches they had, Kunimi and Yaku weren't above trying to skip out on eating with the others in favour of sitting on sentry duty. There wasn't really a need to get everyone together every night, but all would agree it was nice for them to enjoy one another's company when they could, after all, there were always new stories to be told around the firepit.

"So the guy jumps back, seeing Yuu's hands sparking, and he starts sobbing at my feet." Tanaka paused in his tale to take another mouthful of stew, the rest of the company waiting with baited breath. "And he's like 'please don't turn me into fried meat! I'll tell you anything!'"

Nishinoya shook his head as Tanaka continued imitating the poor soul they had robbed recently.

"And I kinda let him sob it out for a few minutes before picking him up by his tunic and demanding he told us where the vault was."

"Did he tell you?" Bokuto asked, trying to hide his knowing smirk behind his bowl.

Tanaka raised an eyebrow. "I convinced him it was the better option."

"You mean _I_ did," Nishinoya interrupted "when I struck a nearby tree with a bolt of lightning."

A small laugh rose from those listening as Tanaka tried to wave off Nishinoya's valid point. The fire hissed as another chunk of wood was engulfed, the room was warm; all the doors branching off had been kept closed all day to keep the heat in and everyone knew better than to argue with Suga's reasoning.

"So then what happened?" Hinata asked, cheeks stuffed with bread.

"Well Kiyoko stepped out of the shadows with her katana and the guy nearly pissed himself." Tanaka shrugged as the others burst out laughing.

"I mean," Kuroo said between laughs. "she is pretty terrifying."

Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. "I'll remind you that you said that when you next need me to save you."

Another round of laughter erupted as Kuroo's jaw dropped in mock hurt. Bokuto slapped his shoulder as he doubled over in his seat in his laughter. "That was funny though."

"I almost died!" Kuroo protested.

"Well you had to charge into the cave ahead of us." Kindaichi remarked, wading into the conversation. "Kunimi said there were several bears in there."

Kuroo inhaled a deep breath. "Yes, but _you_ " he pointed to Bokuto "were supposed to have my back!"

Bokuto snorted. "Yeah, against humans, not man-eating bears!"

"I mean, either way we got the bear pelts the trader wanted so does it really matter who nearly died?" Suga remarked.

Kuroo put on another expression of mock hurt as Suga chuckled. "It _does_ matter Suga!"

Kenma rolled his eyes, gaining a small laugh from Hinata. There was never really a dull moment around the fire pit anymore, even with all the problems the brothers faced, there was always a new story to be told.

When the fire started dying down a little, one by one they began making their way to the general sleeping quarters. Kuroo and Daichi remained near the firepit, watching the flames flicker and cast shadows around the room. It had been several weeks since they last discussed the current issue hanging over the guild, each wanting to mull things over and wait for any new information before acting on it. However, with the winter season drawing in, there was a sense of urgency to solve it before the storms made travelling difficult.

"Has Akaashi heard back from the Tanishiti guard?" Daichi asked, swirling the contents of his tankard around a little.

Kuroo shook his head. "It's the fourth letter he's sent, I don't think anyone is taking the warnings seriously."

"Well, we might have to send someone to Tanishiti. Just because they didn't assassinate the king during his coronation, doesn't mean they aren't still looking to do so now."

"I know that." Kuroo sighed, rubbing his eyes. "They aren't listening about House Kageyama either."

"Why would they? House Oikawa wiped them out, if they were to entertain the idea that one survived...it would put a lot of things into question."

The two sat in silence. Neither of them wanted to delve too much into speculating, they had done more than enough of that. Daichi watched as Kuroo's gaze remained fixed on the fire, the dark shadows under his eyes a testament to how he wasn't sleeping well again. Akaashi and Kenma collectively had done as much as they could without calling him out on it, such a thing was reserved for if he stopped sleeping altogether.

"So, I hear you and Bokuto owe Hinata five drinks?" Daichi opted to change the topic to try and lighten the mood.

Kuroo snorted, laughing a little as he met Daichi's gaze. "Yeah, the kid is really coming along quickly with his magic. He could probably comfortably hit anything within a few feet of him with each element now."

"Joy." Daichi dryly stated, allowing a small chuckle to escape. "What about his conjuring?"

Kuroo took a moment to think. "Uh, the flaming sword is getting more deadly, pretty sure he's able to melt crappily built armour with it. He can hit targets with icicles and ice balls, and earlier he dented the target with a lightning bolt."

"Anything else?"

"Nope, least not that I know of." Kuroo replied. "I think Kenma was gonna see if he could create armour out of fire? I'm not sure how far along with that plan he is."

Daichi nodded, leaning back and taking a drink from his tankard. It was no secret that Hinata's powers were developing a lot faster than anyone anticipated. Nishinoya had been surprised at how easily the base elements all came to Hinata and was almost reluctant to teach him too much too quickly for fear he'd become unruly. Akaashi hadn't been very forthcoming with thoughts on the matter, he had outright refused to try reading any subconscious thoughts of the other when it was suggested. He had stated that he didn't want to unleash any unknown powers without some way to counter them. When they asked Kenma about it all, the alchemist had shrugged and stated Hinata was a very powerful individual - that much was clear - and likewise didn't want to risk disrupting the natural order of things.

Even so, the mention of the unknown power that Hinata's elder had sighted in him left an uneasy feeling in Daichi. He had allowed Hinata to train under supervision, usually either him or Kuroo, and not to unnecessarily engage in combat. Moniwa had shown an interest in just how quickly all three elements had been mastered and asked if there was 'something about Hinata', to which everyone avoided answering.

They had enough on their plate as it was without unravelling that mystery.

"Heard anything else about the Serpents?" Daichi asked, knowing Kuroo was thinking about it almost constantly these days.

"Nope." Kuroo breathed. "It's like they disappeared. I'm hoping Akaashi and Yaku find something at the contact's house, something to point us in the right direction."

"You still think going after them is worth it?"

Kuroo met his gaze, hands clasped in front of his face as he leaned forward, elbows resting on knees. "Yes. They...they won't stop until they get to me, so I've got to get to them first."

Daichi nodded slowly, mirroring Kuroo's pose. "Well, you know I got your back, and it'll take more than a man-eating bear to send me running."

A small snort was the only reply as Kuroo shook his head. "I don't expect you to really get it, and I don't expect you to put the guild in danger Daichi." He stood up, casting a glance at the fire before turning towards the door that head to the general quarters. "And if it really comes down to it, I hope you pick the guild over me. There's a lot more going for you guys then there is for my path."

Daichi watched as Kuroo waved in parting, closing the door softly behind him. The guild leader sighed as he weighed Kuroo's words in his mind, the potential meaning behind them and what the other wasn't telling him. He rubbed his face as the fire hissed and flickered violently. With another heavy sigh he rose to his feet and collected all the tankards up to put on the side for cleaning in the daylight hours, trying not to let the conversation weigh heavily on his mind as he retired to his room.

As he closed the door quietly, the covers on his bed stirred, furs shifted and a small groggy voice called out in the dim light of a lone candle on the desk.

"Daichi?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." He whispered, kicking off his boots and peeling away the overcoat he was wearing. It was colder in his quarters than the main chamber, but he knew the bed would be practically heavenly thanks to the other. "Kuroo had more to say than I thought."

"Figures, you're like two old hags sometimes."

He jabbed at the lump under the furs, chuckling at the noise of irritation. "Says the one who gossips with Kiyoko in the kitchen about our sleeping habits."

"I said hags not ladies."

Daichi rolled his eyes, tossing his tunic onto the floor and peeling back the covers to fight for space in his own bed. In the dim candlelight silver hair looked almost mystical against pale skin, like frost on a mountainside. He smiled as Suga's eyes opened slightly and a lazy smile was returned to him.

"So you're sharing a bed with a hag, how does that make you feel?" Daichi remarked as Suga quickly pressed his warm body against Daichi's.

"Shush, it's late." Suga replied, curling against his side. "And blow the candle out so I can sleep."

"You're so demanding."

"Puh-lease, you'd all still be eating bugs and half cooked meat if it wasn't for me being here."

"That's not right and you know it." Daichi muttered, running his fingers up Suga's side and feeling the slight trembling of the other trying to resist reacting.

"Well you'd at least be buying your food and not hunting it."

Sensing this was an argument he wasn't going to win, Daichi sat up and blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness. Suga buried his face in the crook of Daichi's neck, humming softly as the long day of hunting caught up with him. Daichi lay awake a while, turning thoughts over in his mind and repeating what Kuroo said to him. The warmth of the bed was quick to make him relax, the familiar feeling of Suga's presence next to him further making him forget about all his stresses, even just for a few hours.

* * *

 

Amaya plodded along the woodland trail without hesitation, hooves kicking up dirt and stones as her gaze focused on the path ahead. The forest was quiet, the wind gentle, whispering in the trees every so often as if to reply to the birdsong of the late afternoon. Yaku kept an eye on the cluster of bushes they were approaching, a prime candidate for an ambush in his mind. Both he and Akaashi were on alert as they made their way home with their loot, the bonus winnings from their interrogation, it made them an easy target - or at least that's what the first bandit thought before he met Akaashi's sword.

"Didn't expect her to be so willing to talk." Yaku remarked to the other. He didn't mind working with Akaashi as the other often lost himself in his thoughts and didn't look for opportunities to cause trouble. However he did find their outings could get a little too quiet if he didn't keep prompting the other to talk. It wasn't that Akaashi didn't want to talk, it was more that they couldn't afford to be too distracted from their tasks.

Akaashi smiled slightly. "Well, I did imprint some thoughts in her mind about what would happen if she didn't."

"Oh really? Do tell."

"It's nightmarish stuff Morisuke. I don't think you really want to know."

There was a small smirk on Akaashi's face that Yaku could never figure out if it was malice or amusement. Given the conversation topic, Yaku wasn't about to back down so easily.

"Psh, just an overview? Like was it gory?"

A distant crow call echoed between the trees, the sun was setting quickly and casting the sky in a pale yellow glow. Akaashi snorted slightly before shrugging.

"I let her see herself being mutilated by many blunt daggers, imprinted the feeling of having her skin torn apart piece by piece, limbs pulling, blood trailing down her body--"

"Alright!" Yaku cut in, holding up a hand. "I get it, gory stuff."

Akaashi chuckled. "For an assassin, you don't like talking about gore."

"As an assassin, I don't think about the gore, I just get on with it." Yaku huffed. "And what is up with your mind powers anyway? Like you've been ruthless with them recently."

Akaashi shrugged. "I guess, with Hinata's elemental powers being so...obvious, I had nothing to lose. Besides, they just proved very useful."

"Yeah, but usually you're not so..." He gestured to the air with his hand "you only used them to get information in a sense of digging for it, not imprinting horrific visions into people's minds."

There was truth in Yaku's comments, Akaashi had been more ruthless with using his powers for 'not so nice things' as Bokuto would put it. He had gotten to grips with his own nightmares and decided to use them on their victims, both in assassinations and interrogations. It had proved an effective tactic, but he could also feel it taking a toll on his mental strength. He hadn't told many of the brothers about the downside, mainly because Kuroo would worry and Daichi would tell him to stop doing it. He felt that he needed to grow, develop new skills and become stronger if he was to still be useful to the guild.

He felt the newly-familiar light-headedness hit, calling for Yaku to halt and let him mount Amaya's saddle. The other didn't question it, they had a while to trek before they were within a day's ride of home and walking would take a toll on them and Amaya.

"Do you know if we're moving forward with the plan to go to Tanishiti?" Yaku asked as he took the reins to lead Amaya slightly off the path.

"I think we are." Akaashi replied, rubbing his forehead before rummaging around in his satchel for the vial that Kenma had given to him for the headaches. The alchemist hadn't questioned him too much when asking about what caused the headaches, but Akaashi knew far better than to lie to the one person who could kill him and not be suspected whatsoever. "It's Daichi's call though."

"Hmph, well it's a dumb idea. We're the ones known as assassins, you really think the guards, much less the king, are gonna believe we have nothing to do with it?"

Akaashi had been privy to this debate before, the days following the reveal of the plot had been dominated by different arguments for and against warning the king of the plot. He preferred to stay out of it, but it was impossible not to have an opinion.

"Yeah, it is a long shot. But I think they're hoping that Kiyoko's name will carry weight."

"Psh, they're more likely to think we kidnapped her and forced her into a life of slavery." Yaku snorted. "Or that she's gone crazy, after all we did kinda kill her village elder and most of the guards.

"Well it's either we go to Tanishiti or wipe out the Serpents ourselves." Akaashi curtly replied, not really wanting to be having this conversation with a headache, in the middle of the woods as the night was drawing in.

"Or do nothing." Yaku shrugged, picking a trail through the undergrowth. "Why do we have to interfere?"

"Because if King Tooru dies, the kingdom will fall." Akaashi uttered, ducking under tree branches as Amaya showed no reluctance at trekking through the woodland. "Either to the north or the empire and neither of those groups are renowned for being friendly."

Yaku sighed. "And what about House Kageyama? Who's to say they can't rule?"

"You know as well as I do that the kingdom of Kageyama has been in ruins for a while, even if someone survived the eruption, they are in no fit state to rule from there--"

"Exactly, so they'd move into the Blue Castle and rule from there."

Akaashi clenched his jaw, as much as he commended Yaku on his debating skills and willingness to entertain all the options, he was not in the mood for this conversation about the kingdom's future. He found the vial he was looking for and uncorked it, sipping some of the light pink liquid inside and savouring the sweet taste before resealing it and slipping it away before Yaku could say anything.

"Regardless, it depends on how the king replied to our message." Akaashi sighed. "And how Daichi intends to act."

"True that." Yaku nodded.

"So let's just take it easy until we get home."

Yaku glanced over his shoulder at Akaashi, a slight glimmer of concern in his gaze before nodding again and focusing back on leading Amaya through the forest.


	4. Paranoia

  
**III**

**Paranoia**

The brisk winter breeze made Kiyoko shiver a little. The chainmail Bokuto had crafted for her was good at deflecting heavy blows, but it lacked any substantial kind of padding as it had been made in the height of the summer season. She had layered up as best she could with thin tunics so she wasn't weighed down too much, but as they slowly made their way to Okukoshi the chill in the air was making her skin crawl. Kuroo had offered his jacket to her but she politely declined, if they were jumped unexpectedly then the extra layer would be a burden.

"So, run through what we need to get again?" Kunimi said, he didn't seem to notice the chill, or at least if he did he was good at hiding it.

Kuroo cleared his throat. "Lumber for the fire, as much salt as we can find for meat storage, any old scraps of armour for Bokuto to re-purpose, some parchment rolls and...well Kenma said if there was anything 'useful' to get it..." Kuroo waved his hand dismissively, "fucked if I know what he means by that."

"Runestones or herbs, I'm betting twenty silver on it." Kunimi remarked with a smile.

"Or a very specific book." Kiyoko added.

"It's Kenma, of course it'll be specific."

Kuroo chuckled, shaking his head at them both. "Make fun all you want Kunimi, but remember who pulled the arrow from your side and didn't let you bleed out."

Kunimi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Kenma. Funnily enough, I remember the agony as if it was yesterday."

The low grinding sound of turning cart wheels and clatter of Raimei's hooves on dirt filled the void of conversation between them. It wasn't a particularly long journey to Okukoshi, barely half a day in total to get there and back, but it was seen as one of the more boring tasks of the guild. They soon saw the small market town on the horizon; a cluster of buildings surrounded by farmland. Cattle and sheep grazed in the fields, some prospective buyers hanging around the gates watching them and in deep discussion about pricing.

As they drew nearer, Kiyoko's hand rested on the hilt of her katana. It was a habit she had picked up from Daichi and Kuroo over the few months she had been at the guild, whenever they went to public places that could be remotely hostile they'd rest a hand on their weapons so they could draw them at a moment's notice. In a way it spoke to their paranoia of being caught off guard but it also paid to be prepared for anything. Even with the guild taking a less lethal approach to getting gold, it never hurt to be on their guard.

The large wooden gates were open, the bustling marketplace visible just past them; crowds of people rushing back and forth, the smell of farm animals was in the air as they drew closer, loud shouts from patrons and vendors alike could be heard over the churning of dirt under neat the cart wheels. Kunimi grimaced slightly, it was busy to say the least. Kuroo nodded for him to climb into Raimei's saddle, knowing the sentry hated being on the ground in crowded places. Kiyoko took the reins firmly and led Raimei between the stalls and vendors, Kuroo a few paces behind her to make sure no-one tried to hitch a ride in their cart.

"First we get the salt," Kuroo called to Kiyoko over the din of the market. "it'll be the most sought-after thing."

Kiyoko nodded, tugging Raimei to follow her towards one particular vendor, the large pack horse seemed unfazed by the crowded streets. Kunimi kept an eye on those they were passing for any 'useful' items for Kenma, he somewhat regretted agreeing to come with them now he was in the middle of the crowds.

The exchange went off without a hitch, several sacks were loaded into the cart and the quest for lumber became the main focus. As they were passing under an archway separating one marketplace from another, Kunimi felt an uneasy sensation of being watched. He glanced around and saw no sign of trouble, only people rushing about to purchase as many wares as they needed before the day was done. He tried to shrug it off as paranoia, his hatred of being in crowded spaces without an obvious escape route had an unwelcome effect on him.  
The cart lurched a little as poorly paved cobblestone streets left potholes for the wheels to get caught in. Kunimi gripped the edge of Raimei's saddle as Kiyoko and Kuroo showed little sign of feeling as uneasy. He continued glancing over his shoulder every few moments before finally tugging his hood over his head.

"You okay?" Kuroo asked quietly as Kiyoko halted Raimei and glanced around for the lumber merchant.

"Someone's watching me." Kunimi hissed, knuckles turning white as he gripped the saddle a little tighter. "But I can't tell who."

Kuroo raised an eyebrow, glancing around and finding no-one acting suspiciously. Heck, barely anyone was even paying attention to them apart from glaring at Kuroo for the cart being an obstruction. He knew Kunimi was always hyper-aware of his surroundings though, it came with being a sentry scout, so if he was so adamant someone was watching, then there was a slight cause for concern.

"Well we need lumber, the rest of the shit can be collected by either me or Kiyoko once we get you out of the town." Kuroo replied barely above a whisper. "You good for a while longer?"

In the unlikely event someone did launch an ambush at them, Kuroo knew Kunimi wouldn't hesitate to draw blood to escape with his life. It was in their best interest to avoid that at all costs, they were already wanted in two other towns because of similar scuffles.

Kiyoko spotted the merchant and got the trio moving again. The crowds parted to make way for the cart, Raimei barely hesitating as Kiyoko pressed ahead. Kunimi kept his head down, gaze focused on his fingers curled around the saddle. He couldn't shake the feeling from himself. There was definitely someone watching him, who or why, he didn't know.

The bartering with the lumber merchant took longer, with both Kuroo and Kiyoko trying to convince the merchant to go down on his asking price. It left Kunimi alone surrounded by the crowds and the ever-present feeling that he was in danger. With a final compromise, they secured enough lumber to stock their fires for the winter without having to destroy the forest they call home. However Kunimi couldn't take it anymore. He leapt from Raimei's saddle and weaved his way through the crowd, ignoring Kuroo's calls to come back.

He needed to get away. He needed to lose them. He didn't care about anything else, he just needed to feel in control again.

As he weaved through the narrow winding alleyways, he heard shouts from behind him that didn't belong to Kuroo or Kiyoko. The sound of heavy, clumsy footsteps soon began to follow him. As he glanced behind him to confirm he was being chased, something hit his ankle sending him crashing to the ground. A large hand seized his shoulder, another came up to his throat. The solid wall hit his back, the zing of steel kissing leather made his eyes widen as cold metal pressed against his cheek.

"Eh, you're the kid from the posters." A gruff voice stated, it belonged to a large man with a no-nonsense expression. He bore his yellowed teeth as his expression broke into a grin at the sight of the look of shock in Kunimi's eyes.

"What fucking posters" Kunimi scowled, trying to wriggle free as more thugs crowded around him. "the fuck are you on about?"

A rumble of laughter broke out in the thugs. Kunimi's stomach was twisting into knots as he realised how limited his options were. He knew he had throwing daggers in one of his leather pouches, but getting to them and successfully using them was not as easy as he'd liked. He was also pinned against a wall with his feet several inches off the ground and a hand around his neck that could easily snap his neck if they were so inclined. He somewhat regretted not wearing the new gauntlets Bokuto made for him.

"Don't play dumb kid, we know who you are." Another voice said, this one was a woman, tall, slender with a sword gripped tightly in one hand.

"You're gonna make us filthy rich when we hand you to the King's Guard."

Kunimi swallowed, biting on his lip as he glared at the thug keeping him against the wall. He knew he had been followed, he just didn't imagine this being their reasoning.

"Nothing to say? Is that a confession?"

He slowly blinked, flexing his hands as he weighed up his options. He glanced around at the faces watching him; grubby, unshaven and battle-scarred faces. They were opportunists, only jumping him because they saw an outdated poster and figured the bounty was active. Which it wasn't. It couldn’t be anymore.

"fuck this then," the thug lifted him higher, squeezing his throat until he spluttered and gasped for air. "it'll be better if you sleep for this journey kiddo."

 

* * *

 

Kiyoko had reacted faster than Kuroo when Kunimi bolted. She tossed the reins into Kuroo's hand and immediately started tailing Kunimi, hand poised over her katana as she followed him at a distance. She saw a group of low-risk mercenaries take an interest in the sentry as he sprinted past, one of them pointed at him and soon the entire company were on their feet following Kunimi down the narrow alleyways.

She knew there was no way she'd get to him in time. Glancing around, she spotted a ladder that would take her to the roofs of clustered houses. There was no hesitation in her as she ascended and began running along the roofs, ducking under drying clothes hung out on rope, climbing over barrels and boxes. When she heard a familiar outburst, she paused and peered over the ledge. Kunimi was pinned against the wall, the company of mercenaries surrounding him and jeering at him.

The mention of posters piqued her interest, sure there were always bounty posters being thrown around and the guild had been featured on them a number of times, some brothers more than others - Yaku currently held the record for number of appearances followed by Akaashi - but the mention of the King's Guard was the more intriguing part for her. What would the royal family want Kunimi thrown in jail for?

She listened for a few more moments, watching as Kunimi didn't fight back. When the thug began to lift him higher, cutting off his airway, she spurred herself to move. Grabbing onto a clothesline that stretched across the alleyway, she dropped off the roof, landing on the ground with a forward roll to spare her joints any trauma. Her free hand withdrew her blade as she attracted the attention of the group.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Someone you don't want to mess with." She replied, lifting the square blade to point at Kunimi. "He's with me. Release him."

"Psh, fuck off bitch." The lead thug scoffed. "Ruka, get rid of her."

The tall slender swordswoman turned, holding her sword up in a defensive posture. Kiyoko let out a sigh. She lowered her katana, appearing to surrender for a split second before beginning an aggressive advance on the other. The clashing of steel rang out, bouncing of the walls as the two blades met time and time again. Kiyoko moved swiftly between each parry, not giving away any easy loopholes for her opponent. She allowed the other to get a little too close for comfort before striking Ruka in the face with her fist, dazing her before kicking her leg in a sweeping gesture to send her to the ground. Kiyoko picked up her sword and drove it through the layers of clothing to pin one arm in place whilst she stepped on the other and met the thug's gaze again.

"You were saying?" Kiyoko asked, katana edge hovering above Ruka's neck. "Let the boy go."

"You know what he's done right?" One of the smaller males interrupted "Why King Tooru has put a bounty on him?"

Kunimi's eyes widened slightly, he sought Kiyoko's gaze but barely had a chance to say anything before he was dropped without warning. The lead thug narrowed his eyes Kiyoko, stepping towards her and cracking his knuckles.

"So you must share his beliefs then?" He grunted.

Kiyoko wasn't sure what they were talking about, but she knew Kunimi would explain in due time. In the current moment though, she had to improvise. She released Ruka and stepped beside Kunimi, he seemed relieved until she turned him to face the wall and shoved him harshly against it.

"Don't say anything." She uttered to him before pulling a length of rope used to tie the lumber together from the side bag secured to her thigh and tied his wrists together. He nodded, biting at the inside of his cheek as she turned back to face the mercenaries. "I've been contracted by House Oikawa to bring him in personally." She stated, holding up her katana to examine the new kinks in the metal. "I was in the running to be his majesty's royal guard so they felt they could trust me to get the job done."

The thug snorted. "Yeah right."

Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. "I was not told his crimes, just that he needed to be caught and taken back to the Blue Castle to be judged. He was spooked by the sight of his own face on the bounty posters - a formality the House went through to appease the royal council - and bolted. You've actually helped a great deal."

"Yeah but we ain't gonna get the bounty, are we?" The thug grunted, advancing a few steps.

"You will." Kiyoko replied, sighting Kuroo and nodding him over. He looked confused but saw sense to play along with Kiyoko's play. "Tetsu, these fine citizens helped be catch the boy, they deserve to be paid for their deeds."

Kuroo glanced between Kiyoko and Kunimi. "Sure. How much milady?"

"I think twenty gold pieces should be adequate enough, throw in some silver too."

Kuroo nodded, going to the chest that held the money for the shopping trip and counting out the pieces. He handed the small but heavy money sack to the lead thug with a smile.

The group exchanged a glance before the lead thug nodded. "A'ight, well I guess we can't say no to this. Plus getting him to Tanishiti would be a right pain in the ass with his face plastered everywhere."

Kuroo kept his relaxed smile up as the thugs helped Ruka off the floor and cleared away from the area. Kiyoko let out a sigh of relief and untied Kunimi's wrists, rubbing some feeling back into the before gently turning him around and cupping his face.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"...eh, nothing I haven't experienced before..." He shrugged, voice a little hoarse.

"I have a lot of questions, but we can talk about this back at the guild." Kuroo stated, clapping a hand on Kunimi's shoulder. "Don't worry, this isn't your fault."

Kunimi shrugged his hand away, averting his gaze from both of them and began walking back towards the busy crowds. "I wish you were right."

Kiyoko and Kuroo exchanged a glance, the concern clear in both their eyes as they followed the sentry back to where Raimei had been left in the care of a stable-hand. With their funds a few gold pieces lighter, they collected some of the other items that the guild requested and quickly got on the road home. Kunimi sat in the cart amongst the sacks of salt and pieces of lumber, hugging his knees and in deep thought. The uneasiness in his stomach hadn’t eased in the slightest if anything, this entire ordeal made it worse.

* * *

 

There was rarely a day in the guild where there wasn't a small explosion. Bokuto had always been slightly over-eccentric with his trap building and armour testing, but that was child's play when Hinata and Nishinoya began experimenting with their elemental powers. So much so, that Suga ordered they practised outside and away from the guild. The two mages had taken to sparring in the cove that they used to meet Kiyoko in as it was secluded but reasonably close to the guild, Tanaka and Kenma would join them sometimes, the alchemist to study how the runestones were working and the swordsman to give them tips on sparring.

"Your lightning still isn't quite there." Nishinoya panted as he dodged another stray bolt, his fingerless-gloves glowing as his fingers began sparking. "Focus on the power, not the shape, let the sparks shape themselves."

Hinata nodded, outstretching his slightly singed hands and closing his eyes to think. His wrists tingled as he allowed the energy to collect before he released it with a sharp gasp. The two bolts met another and a loud rumble of thunder signalled the connection. Kenma smiled as the blue and white light dissipated, glancing down at his small tattered journal where he was making notes on everything. Tanaka cheered as the mages met in the middle, he saw this sparring as a way to avoid being dragged into cleaning duties with Kindaichi. It was also a good time to see Nishinoya's cool powers on display.

"Alright, lets see if this works now then." Nishinoya stated, holding his hand out with the palm facing down. Hinata nodded with a smile, holding his hand underneath with the palm facing upwards. After a few moments and two heavy sighs, sparks began to fly between their hands, lightning bolts passed between palms, neither mage reacting as the began to close the gap. A static feeling in the air made their hair stand on end as they ended up with their hands clasped together, sparks dancing over their skin.

"So cool!" Hinata said, a grin spreading across his face.

"Yeah!" Nishinoya echoed.

"Oi, don't set each other's hair on fire." Tanaka called from the safety of the pile of rocks he and Kenma sat on everytime they watched the sparring.

The two mages laughed, letting go and deciding to take a break. The afternoon was young, the air was crisp, the lake was calm but cold much like the mountain air. Hinata sat next to Kenma and started reading his notes over his shoulder, Kenma leaned his head on Hinata's shoulder, the residual static making his hair go a little fuzzy much to his irritation. Hinata simply laughed when he scowled at having to flatten it again and again.

"Have you thought more about this fire armour idea?" Tanaka asked as the lull in conversation became too much for him.

"Yeah, Bokuto said he'd have to make my regular armour and clothes fire-proof so I can't do much right now." Hinata pouted. "Which sucks cause I wanna get on and learn!"

"I bet it'll be cheaper than buying lumber for a fire, just wear fire armour all winter." Nishinoya remarked.

"Exactly!" Hinata grinned.

"But he'll burn through runestones doing it." Kenma pointed out with a small smile. "And that's expensive."

"You have loads though!"

"Not all are suitable for fire powers."

"Then what are they useful for?"

Tanaka snorted, standing up and stretching. "Oi shortie, conjure your ice axe and spar with me. It's cold enough that it shouldn't melt immediately."

Hinata nodded, forgetting the previous conversation as he bounded over to the other. He held his hand above his head and inhaled deeply, letting out his breath slowly and imagining the small but sturdy war axe made of crystal clear ice, blade sharp as an arrow tip and handle firm as a sword hilt. He opened his eyes and lowered his hand in front of him, axe fully formed.

"Come at me." He said smugly, watching Tanaka draw his greatsword and give it an experimental swing.

Nishinoya watched as Tanaka showed little hesitation to run at Hinata. It had been interesting to watch Hinata’s confidence grow under the instruction of each brother’s mentoring sessions. His powers had grown considerably over the last few months, now it was just a matter of learning to control them and when each element was necessary to use.

It was obvious to everyone Hinata was far from a normal mage, and there were murmurings between brothers about why that would be. Nishinoya tried not to think too much into it; after all he was considered abnormal for a mage by some people. As much as people liked to write about the intricate magics of the world, no-one really knew how much one could learn. The academies were a mage’s best bet if he wanted to learn everything there was to be taught by the elders. But Nishinoya was never really one to sit in a classroom all day, and he didn’t think Hinata was the type either.

Nevertheless, he had a feeling even they would be scratching their heads over Hinata’s powers. If this was what he was like barely a year after being introduced to the other two primary elements, Nishinoya was both excited and cautious about what he’d be like in a few summers’ time. He guessed he’d have to wait and see, and try to guide Hinata as best he good like any good mentor would.

 


	5. The Palace Servant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to say thank-you to everyone who's left kudos and comments so far! I'm glad you're enjoying it and those simple gestures bring a smile to my face :3

 

**IV**

**The Palace Servant**

 

It was obvious to everyone that something had shaken Kunimi. Kindaichi met the group as they entered the courtyard, he usually took the horses immediately and left the unloading to the others, but that evening Kiyoko told him that he ought to check on Kunimi. He wasn't sure what the deal was but he caught up with the other as he made a beeline for the general sleeping quarters. Kunimi was hastily stripping off the layers of clothing that weren't necessary in the closed confines of the guild but froze when Kindaichi came down the wooden steps behind him.

"What happened? Kiyoko told me I should talk to you--"

"Nothing." Kunimi said, turning his back on Kindaichi and focusing on laying out his arsenal of weapons on his bed, the candles flickered in the movement. He was trying to focus on anything other than the very real nightmare that was unfolding.

"Akira." Kindaichi was closer, a hand on Kunimi's shoulder made his concentration lapse. "Come on, you can tell me."

Kunimi shook his head slightly, he knew if he said anything then it would make the situation real. He didn't want it to be real. The hand moved from his shoulder, arms wrapped around him and hugged him from behind. He let out a shaky breath.

"There's a bounty on me." He whispered. "The King's put a bounty on me...again."

"But Tooru is in charge now?" Kindaichi replied, keeping his voice calm. "Why would he put a bounty on you?"

Kunimi shrugged. "The thugs in Okukoshi seemed pretty adamant I've...I'm guilty."

Kindaichi rested his chin on Kunimi's head. "Well, you're not. You and I know that."

"Tooru knows that...I hope." Kunimi's gaze fixed on the throwing knives. There was no doubt in Kunimi's mind that he'd be summoned to Daichi's quarters to explain what's going on. He hoped Yaku would be back by then to at least help argue his corner.

"We'll sort it." Kindaichi said after a few moments of silence, releasing Kunimi and waiting for him to turn around to face him. "You know the guild won't kick you out for it."

"Well yeah, but it'll make everything a fuck more difficult to plan if I'm dodging bounties and guards."

Kindaichi nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered the bigger picture. The fact they had managed to avoid going to Tanishiti for so long was a miracle, but given the recent guild developments and the talk of preventing the assassination of the king, they wouldn't be able to avoid it forever.

"Even so, Daichi and Kuroo will think of something." He smiled. "And it'll be fine."

Kunimi nodded, letting Kindaichi draw him into another hug, this time burying his face in the familiar jacket of the other that smelt of horses and hay. It was a scent that took him back to his days in the palace, the lazy afternoons he'd spend in the stables after finishing his chores, the sneaking in and out of the kitchens with honey-glazed buns for him and Kindaichi, the rare occasion he would be allowed to ride one of the horses within the training paddock. He felt his chest tighten a little as he recalled the memories; when his world was just the palace and city walls and nothing more, when the horizon was a mystery and the tales of dragons were just firepit stories.

"You hungry?" Kindaichi asked, "Suga's been hacking away at some of the deer meat he caught the other day. I think we're having steak tonight."

"Thank the gods, I need something other than stew." Kunimi remarked with a small smile, hastily wiping at his damp eyes. Kindaichi didn't say anything about the gesture, merely smiling back, lightly nudging him and nodding to the staircase to the main room.

* * *

 

The parchment lay on the table between them all, long dried ink with the familiar yellow wax seal did little to ease the tension. Kunimi rubbed his hands together as the older males glanced at each other, the room felt too small for all six of them to be crowded in there, but this wasn't a meeting to be having in front of the entire guild. Akaashi swallowed as he picked up the parchment and reread it.

"When I first received this tip-off from Misaki, I thought it was a low level one, petty theft or something, there is nothing in this letter telling me why there is a bounty." He explained. "Morisuke convinced me not to say anything, that it wasn't the time."

Yaku shifted his stance a little, the gazes of Daichi and Kuroo fixing on him for an explanation. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This was not a meeting he wanted to be having right after getting back from a job, but news of the incident in Okukoshi had been quick to find him. He knew this would come up at some point, but he had hoped to have at least spoken to Akaashi a little first.

"I'll be blunt," he said "it wasn't important after the whole Kiyoko incident. Akira had been through enough and we as a guild didn't need another bullshit problem. It was my call not to say anything."

Daichi didn't know what to think. All he knew was that Kunimi had a sizable bounty on him that both Akaashi and Yaku had known about but not shared with them. He had every right to berate them, but that wouldn't be a solution.

"Okay, Kunimi, you need to tell us why the king wants your head." Kuroo stated, trying to keep a calm demeanour despite the slight panic in him.

Kunimi glanced over his shoulder at Kindaichi, the other gave him a sympathetic smile and nodded. Kunimi clasped his hands together and squeezed them.

"Uhm, well" His voice wavered as he kept his gaze on the floor.

His stomach was twisting into knots as he had to face the consequences of keeping his past behind closed doors. The last thing he wanted to do was cry. He had long stopped shedding tears over the situation he had found himself in, the bitterness still remained and any attempt by the others to drag up his past were shut down abruptly. Sometimes he could dwell on the happier moments of his childhood but he hadn't dared to try and recount the events that lead to Yaku picking him off the streets.

Akaashi crouched in front of him, placing a gentle hand on his knee as he did so. Kunimi allowed it to remain, feeling the twisting in his stomach easing the longer the mage's hand stayed. He didn't want to necessarily rely on Akaashi's powers to get through this, but it was helping.

"Take your time." Daichi murmured, "and we aren't here to pass judgement on whatever you've done, remember?"

Kunimi nodded, feeling Kindaichi's hand resting on his shoulder and squeezing.

"Well, you all know I'm the son of a servant in the royal palace, the Blue Castle as it's officially called y'know." He glanced up at Daichi who nodded. "I basically grew up with the prince--I mean the king...Tooru. He was always nice to me, like he knew he was special but he wouldn't look down on me or the other servants. We weren't like, brothers or anything but he was nice enough."

"He got a little cocky as he got older though." Kindaichi remarked, getting a small laugh out of Kunimi.

"Yeah, well I was assigned to his chamber once I was thirteen summers old. They didn't want the serving girls getting all flustered over seeing him…y'know. So I was the one doing most of it. Wasn't too bad I guess, sometimes Tooru would ask for my opinion on something, mainly clothing choices which i had no fucking clue about. Sometimes he'd ask what the rest of the palace servants were thinking about current events..."

"Sounds like an alright guy." Kuroo shrugged.

"He was very conscious that he would be king, so he wanted to get to know those working under him...I didn't care really. It made my job a lot less annoying." Kunimi sighed. "Iwaizumi - the guy who became his royal guard around his fifteenth nameday - was always nice to me too. They both were."

Akaashi kept a steady gaze on Kunimi's face as the other paused to think, he could sense the uneasiness building again as Kunimi bit on his bottom lip. He squeezed Kunimi's knee to remind him it was okay, that he was safe with them. Kunimi nodded slightly, understanding the gesture as the weight on his mind lifted a little.

"One of my other jobs in the palace was to run errands for the court mages." Kunimi said. "I'd go to market and buy simple herbs and things for them, kinda like what we do for Kenma. Sometimes I'd take poultices and lotions to various people, cures for ailments mainly. It was tiring and the mages weren't exactly very polite. They just saw me as a lowly peasant who didn't even deserve to be called by his name." Kunimi's hands clenched into fists, Akaashi tried to keep a lid on the simmering anger building inside of him.

"Assholes." Yaku scoffed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, it was always just 'boy' or 'kid', they knew my name, they knew I was the prince's chamber boy, but they still treated me like a rat in a sewer."

"Don't tell me you murdered them..." Daichi breathed.

Kunimi shook his head. "No. Unfortunately." He uttered. "I wish I had, but no."

"So what happened?"

"One evening I was returning from market, I had just bought a load of belladonna for them, dangerous shit that is, literally only really used to kill someone. I believe they told me they were going to sort out a rat infestation we had with it." Kunimi's gazed remained on the floor, fists clenching and unclenching. "I got to the door of their main room, something made me pause to listen to what they were saying rather than entering..." He paused, letting out a heavy sigh.

Yaku shook his head, already knowing the rest of the story.

"I overheard," Kunimi's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper as he tried to keep himself calm. He wanted to scream and punch something out of frustration. "they were going to kill the king, Tooru's father. They were going to use the belladonna in a stew and kill him."

Daichi and Kuroo exchanged a wordless glance.

Kunimi continued "I...I don't know what the fuck possessed me to do it, but I ran to the King's chamber. I should've thought about it, should've told my mom, should've told the guard but no, I went straight to the king and told him."

"I can see where this is going..." Kuroo breathed, rubbing his forehead. "He didn't believe you over them, did he?"

Kunimi hung his head, shaking it slightly as he tried to bite back the sobs. "He...he heard me out but then dismissed me. Next thing I know, I'm summoned to the royal court in the middle of the night and..."

Kindaichi squeezed his shoulder, stepping forward to fill in the blanks as Kunimi hunched over in his seat and Akaashi met him in a hug. "The mages had concocted some bullshit story about Akira being the one who wanted to kill the king, that they never asked for the belladonna and knew nothing about the stew. So the king assumed that Kunimi was the one who was really trying to kill him and...well,"

"The king told him that he was going to be charged with treason." Yaku interrupted. "He allowed Akira time to see his mother, supposedly under armed guard."

"But Akira gave them the slip, crashed into the stables and hid there for three days...I helped hide him." Kindaichi continued. "I could've been killed if they had found him in my bunk but I knew he wouldn't kill Tooru's father."

Kuroo looked to Daichi to comment, the guild leader sighed. "So that's when Yaku found Kunimi?"

Yaku nodded. "I was asking him about a horse when the guards came through hassling him about knowing Akira before 'the charges' so he must know where he was hiding. Once they cleared off I asked what the fuck they were on about, he told me everything in a panic and I got them both the hell out."

Kunimi sniffed loudly, Akaashi's soothing influence having eased his breakdown. "I still don't get why you did that Morisuke..."

Yaku snorted. "Because I can't stand bullies, and the fact that you served the brat for years without any incident showed you have no ill-will towards the royals. They completely disregarded that and assumed you were the one telling lies, not the mages and I can't fucking stand that."

Daichi put up a hand to stop the conversation. "So, why does Kunimi have a bounty now?"

Akaashi stood up, glancing over the parchment again. "My guess, Tooru wants to tie up a loose end." He looked back to Kunimi. "You didn't mention him having a part in your trial, was he not present?"

Kunimi shook his head. "No. I don't think he was aware at the time."

Akaashi nodded. "Then yes, he wants to know if Kunimi is still running, for what reason, I don't know fully. He could be looking to carry out justice, or he could be looking to pardon him."

"Either way, this throws our plan of going to Tanishiti into question." Daichi said. "Did the guard ever respond to your messages Akaashi?"

"No." Was the simple reply. "They have not."

Kuroo cleared his throat. "We could always take out the source of the problem, rather than the target."

Yaku gave him an incredulous look. "You're insane. You're not suggesting we try to wipe out the Serpents?"

"Why not?" Kuroo said, waving his hand dismissively. "They've been a thorn in our sides for months now."

"No, they've been a thorn in your side." Yaku snapped.

"Enough!" Daichi rose his voice above the arguing. "I'm not having that conversation now. And when I do, it'll be with the entire guild. We make that call together and only together."

It succeeded in ending the argument. An uneasy silence fell over the group, Kunimi let out a sigh and asked to be excused. Daichi nodded and waited until the room emptied with the exception of Yaku. The pair looked at the note from Misaki, a heaviness remained in the air.

"Your comment was somewhat out of line." Daichi murmured, not meeting Yaku's gaze. "Sure they've been targeting Kuroo, but we're caught in the crossfire here. They're as much a threat to us as they are to him."

Yaku let out a sarcastic laugh. "Daichi, listen, the Blue Serpents are a pain in the ass, sure. But they are also merciless killers."

The guild leader gave Yaku a curious look. "Uh huh, and you know this how exactly?"

"They ruined my hometown. Sure it wasn't a pretty place to start with, but when they rocked up a few summers back everything went to shit." Yaku shrugged. "How do you think I became such an efficient killer? I had to protect my family and slaughtering every son-of-a-bitch that threatened them was the only way to do that."

"And you didn't think to tell us this when we first encountered them...why?" Daichi crossed his arms over his chest as he gave Yaku an expectant look.

Yaku’s eyebrows furrowed as he avoided Daichi’s gaze. "Because I didn't want to believe they were the same group." He said. "I hoped with every inch of my being that they were copycats, that the ones Kuroo got tangled up in were different to the ones who took over my home."

"...and your home is..."

"Kitamine."

"The mining town?"

"Mhm. It's a brutal place to live."

"So that's why Kuroo's suggestion outraged you huh, because you know something he doesn't?"

Yaku shook his head. "No. He knows what's probably waiting up there for him, he knows it and he's willing to drag the rest of us up there without even fully explaining. _That's_ why I'm annoyed."

Daichi could sense untangling this mess was going to require a lot of rum to numb his brain. He nodded, telling Yaku that he understood things a bit better now and politely dismissed him. He paced around his quarters, weighing up options in his mind as the walls stood silent. It was too quiet. He could hear some of the brothers in the main chamber chatting, drinking rum and playing cards most likely. His fingers twitched, he wanted to do something, to stop thinking about everything.

He saw one of Suga's daggers resting on the bed, it had been sharpened that morning but it had been left behind. Daichi picked it up, running the flat edge across his fingertips. He let out a heavy sigh as he set it back down on the bed and marched out of his quarters. Making his way to the kitchen, he found Suga packing away the last sack of salt, humming a soft tune.

"Oh, Daichi." He greeted with a smile “I haven’t started on supper yet—”

Daichi shook his head. “No, it’s not that.” He cut in, getting a curious look from Suga. “Uh, can we go hunting?”

Suga regarded him for a moment, seeing the uncertainty in Daichi’s eyes as he stood in the doorway. He smiled and nodded. "I'll get my bow."

* * *

 

Getting away from the crowded tunnels of the guild was always a small mercy for Daichi. There was something about trekking through the wilderness with his best friend by his side that made him appreciate the simpler things in life. Suga didn't ask what had happened in the meeting, he knew better than to ask when Daichi got this riled up.

They both knew Daichi was rubbish at hunting, so the question had become their code-phrase for ‘I need to talk my thoughts through with someone.’ and taking a long walk in the forest was Daichi's way of relaxing. Suga was always ready to drop what he was doing in order to accompany him. Sometimes all you need is someone willing to listen, and that was Suga's role during these walks, though it didn’t stop Suga bringing a bow in case an opportunity arose to get more meat.

The daylight was fading but neither of them were worried, Suga always carried a piece of flint to light a torch with and they knew the area well enough to not get lost. Daichi hadn't said a word since they set out, too busy lost in his thoughts as they walked. Suga knew there were a limited number of places they would end up, once at one of them, he would prompt a conversation. Twigs snapped under their boots, the trees had lost most of their leaves with the exception of the pine trees that always seemed to keep their needles. As they walked further up the hill that the guild was built into, the pine trees outnumbered the others, the ground under them became more gravelly, the air seemed crisper.

As they walked out of a cluster of pine trees, the valley below opened up before them. The ground fell away, giving them a birds-eye view of the lake the guild resided by, the mountains to their north, the winding trails stretching east and west that led to towns and villages. A cloudless sky above them made it seem colder, the sun sinking to the west was casting the area in a pale yellow glow as they sat on the edge of the ridge together and took in the sights.

"So, what's eating at you?" Suga asked after a while.

Daichi shook his head slightly, forcing a smile as he met Suga's calm gaze before looking back at the mountains. They stood tall and unforgiving, never falling no matter how hard the winds howled and the rains came down. He thought of himself as a mountain sometimes; that whatever was thrown at him would roll off and leave no scars, that nothing could make him fall, that he would stand against whatever was thrown his way.

"Daichi," Suga's soft voice preceded his hand resting on Daichi's shoulder. "talk to me."

"Yeah...uh," Daichi huffed, shaking off his thoughts about mountains "well, what isn't eating at me would be a better question."

Suga smiled, it was to hide how he was anticipating bad news. "Well, start with the most troubling thing and work from there."

Another heavy sigh left Daichi. What was the most troubling thing? He wasn't sure anymore, it was all so tangled up in his mind. Aspects of one problem bled into another and barely any of them could be solved without messing with the others. He debated asking Akaashi to read his thoughts and try to straighten them out for him, but in a way that felt like cheating; he wasn't the leader of the guild because he was the best fighter, or just because he was one of the first ones there. No, he was the leader because when everything went to shit and no-one knew how to make things right, they turned to him. They turned to him because he knew how to solve problems, he knew what was best for the guild and for them.

But what was best for the guild at this point?

There was more than a king's life at stake here, the bonds of brotherhood were starting to show strain as more problems reared their ugly heads. He already sensed that Yaku and Kuroo were going to blow up at each other sooner or later, Kunimi's already fragile confidence had been knocked and could prove troublesome if Hinata got on his nerves, Kiyoko seemed set on preventing the assassination of Tooru at any cost but Kuroo seemed set on pulling the guild in the opposite direction.

As Daichi finished telling Suga what he was currently thinking, Suga squeezed his shoulder. The sun had dipped below the horizon in the time it had taken him to vent his thoughts and the night had begun slowly creeping in, bringing the cold air with it.

"So, it sounds like you have to decide between going to Tanishiti and going to Kitamine." Suga summarised, glancing up at the clear sky that was starting to darken. "What are the good and bad reasons for both?"

Daichi sighed heavily. "Well, going to Tanishiti means we would be harder to ignore. Kiyoko reckons she can get us an audience with Tooru as she did meet him and was going to be his royal guard a few summers back. But it also means Kunimi will be in danger, if Tooru means to pardon him then that's not too bad, but why put a bounty out on his head for a pardon?"

Suga nodded, prompting him to continue.

"Also I'm pretty sure they'd want to talk to Kindaichi about how he seemed to leave overnight...plus even if we get an audience with Tooru, we have no solid evidence of the plot. All we have is Hinata's breaking-and-entering job where he overheard them discussing it. Even a sympathetic king wouldn't buy that story."

"So we need evidence," Suga stated

"which we'll only get if we...raid a Blue Serpents hideout."

"Mhm. So we need to go to Kitamine."

Daichi shook his head. "Yaku says it's a brutal place, I'm not putting everyone in danger. Plus with Kuroo's current state, he's bound to get riled up and you and I both know that'll end badly."

Suga leaned back on his hands, gaze on the stars flickering in the sky. "But what if we split the guild into two parties?"

"How so?" Daichi asked.

"Send a combat-ready team to Kitamine to find something to pin on the Serpents, send the others to Tanishiti to see if Kunimi's bounty is for a pardon or not, besides, we do have that knowledge that House Kageyama is working with them, it's our duty as House Oikawa subjects to let Tooru know if he doesn't already."

"Are you suggesting sending Kunimi to the place he has a bounty in and dangling the knowledge of House Kageyama in front of Tooru?"

Suga scoffed. "Not so blatantly. Kiyoko and I would go to court, ask Tooru about Kunimi's bounty as we 'know of his whereabouts' but will only give him up once we know of the nature of his crimes as 'he's wanted elsewhere too'."

"And where does House Kageyama come into it?"

"We trade information for information."

"We don't know anything about--"

"Tooru doesn't know that."

Daichi held his head in his hands. If Tooru wasn't in the mood for playing games, Suga and Kiyoko could find themselves with bounties on their heads, let alone getting Kunimi to go along with it.

"Besides, by that point, the other party should've found something at the Serpents' hideout and we could tell Tooru we have 'additional info'."

"You're putting a lot of faith in our information gathering, and that we even find a hideout." Daichi murmured.

"Then you better not fail."

"I thought you were meant to be helping me, not piling on more pressure."

Suga chuckled, sitting up and draping an arm around Daichi's shoulders. "Tell me, did you have any fragment of a plan before now?"

Daichi raised an eyebrow. "...no."

"And did you have any idea how to solve any of the problems until now?"

"No..."

"Well, now you have something. Sleep on it, tweak it a little, ask Kuroo and Bokuto for some insight," Suga listed off "and then see where your head is at."

Daichi sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Suga had come up with a somewhat decent plan. There was a lot to mull over from who to send where, how long to wait before going to Tanishiti, how to get Kunimi to agree to going back in the first place. It was still a headache, but it was a treatable headache.

"What would I do without you, eh?" Daichi hummed as he glanced at the starry sky.

"Confide in Bokuto or Kuroo, or Kiyoko, she has a level-head." Suga remarked.

"Eh,” Daichi craned his neck to look Suga in the eye. “but you give me a healthy dose of seriousness and sarcasm."

Suga chuckled. "True. Anyway, we better get back before everyone starves without my cooking."

"I'm sure someone else can cook, besides I want to get more fresh air."

"Okay, then I can tell you about Moniwa's latest idea on how to get Bokuto to shower more."

"Oh _joy_."


	6. A Plan of Action

 

**V**

**A Plan of Action**

 

Breakfast had just been cleared away when Daichi quietly asked everyone to remain in the main chamber. Everyone but Suga exchanged glances of confusion and unease as the guild leader stood up and began pacing the room. The fire had been refreshed with new logs, crackling and popping in the otherwise silent room. Daichi paused as he stood at the firepit, on the wall behind hung the red and black banner bearing the guild’s sigil of the silver owl, hollow unwavering eyes watching over them.

"You all know what our guild motto is, right?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder as Suga who smiled reassuringly. "’Through the shadows, we persevered’. We made it up when we founded this place; a sanctuary for those who had fought through the worst periods of their lives and lived to fight another day."

He turned on his heel and faced the group, all looking to him to hear what he had to say.

"It is no secret that we have all faced trials. Some more extreme than others, but all of them have shaped who we are and what we fight for. As a Brotherhood, we swear to stand by one another regardless of what we face. We're a family not made up of blood ties, but of bonds forged on trust, friendship and a will to protect those bonds."

Kuroo looked like he was going to interrupt but thought better of it when Daichi began pacing the small amount of floor space.

"Now, the Blue Serpents are a threat to us, and there is an assassination plot to kill King Tooru," Daichi wasn't sure how he was going to really explain Suga's crazy plan but if he could do anything, it was convincing the guild to protect their own. "But before we can address either of those problems, there is something you all need to be fully aware of;"

He paused, letting the words sink in as he exhaled. Once again he glanced at the banner, the colours of the owl shifted slightly, silvery wings glistening as the firelight flickered.

"Through no direct fault of his own, Kunimi has a sizable bounty on his head, one placed by the king himself." There were a few moments of silence, Daichi didn't need to look to know several gazes had shifted to Kunimi. "We have no solid idea as to why this bounty has been placed, Kunimi has shared his past with myself and Kuroo and there is a reason to suspect that Tooru is just tying up a loose end; either by casting judgement or giving a pardon."  
"But because we don't know which he will do, going anywhere near Tanishiti is a risk, which is why I have to consult you all on this next matter and hear your judgement as a group. I will not dictate what we do without hearing your honest thoughts."

"What is it?" Moniwa asked as no-one else seemed gutsy enough to break the silence.

Daichi smiled, crossing his hands behind him as he waited for a few moments.

"Kuroo suggested yesterday, that rather than warn the target - which we have done repeatedly to no success - we take out the assassin. In short; we go to Kitamine and wipe the Serpents out ourselves, in turn gathering solid evidence of the plot and presenting that information to King Tooru in hopes it gains enough favour to get Kunimi pardoned."

"You're insane, I told you this already!" Yaku snapped, rising from his seat.

"Morisuke, I understand your objection." Daichi was ready for this outburst. "But without solid evidence, we cannot even hope to get Tooru to listen to us."

Yaku shook his head. "You don't know what they're like there though, you've only dealt with the skirmishes of the rangers, not the actual group head on."

"Which is why I want you to come with us." Daichi stated, keeping a neutral expression even as Yaku glared at him.

Kunimi stood up wordlessly, commanding everyone's attention. "I don’t wanna cause grudges with this shit." He stated. "I've wanted to walk into that court multiple times to face judgement, to get it out of my life--"

"They would've killed you." Yaku said. "I got you out of there so you'd _live_."

"And you're trying to say the Blue Serpents are going to kill us if we go after them? I'd like to think our guild is better than that." Kunimi replied, hands clenching into fists. "I'm so fucking sick and tired of running away."

Kuroo clicked his tongue, wringing his hands as Kunimi’s statement hung in the air for a moment.

"I've already selected the party to go to Kitamine," Daichi stated, trying to keep a lid on the brewing tension. "Because of Yaku's heads up about the violent nature of the group, I've decided only those well-versed in combat will be coming. We cannot afford to second guess ourselves."

"And the rest of us?" Kiyoko asked, already guessing that she had a different role to play.

"Kiyoko, you and Suga will ride to Tanishiti and see if you can get some info on what the bounty for Kunimi is specifically for; bringing him in for a trial or otherwise. Those who do not come to Kitamine can either stay here or travel with you."

"So who's on the hit squad?" Kuroo asked, stilling his hands.

Daichi glanced around the group, trying to weigh up who would be favourable in a do or die situation. "Kuroo and Yaku obviously, Bokuto, Tanaka and myself."

"And me." A voice seldom heard during these gatherings spoke up. Heads turned to the corner of the room where Kenma was on his feet. Hinata and Moniwa's eyes were wide as the alchemist didn't yield even as everyone's eyes were on him. "I'm going."

"Kenma," Kuroo sighed "no, that's a terrible idea."

"Kuroo I'm going."

"It's not the time--"

"You and I know it is.” Kenma cut in, holding Kuroo’s gaze. “You were riding away from them when you found me when you saved me from certain death. I want to repay the favour."

There were some looks of confusion amongst the group, but Akaashi and Bokuto had a good grasp of what Kenma was talking about. Neither of them could object to him wanting to repay Kuroo, especially if he knew what Kuroo was riding away from on that day.

"...I mean, we could use an alchemist." Bokuto suggested. "Poison them or something."

Daichi wasn't going to argue, if someone was volunteering to got to Kitamine then he was certainly not going to object. "Alright, if you're sure Kenma."

Kenma nodded. "I can fight to a degree with my elemental magic."

Kuroo rubbed his forehead. Conceding defeat and letting Daichi continue with whatever he had left to say.

"Okay, I want the Kitamine party to be prepared to leave before sundown." Daichi stated.

"Understood." Bokuto nodded.

"The rest of you,” Daichi turned to those who would be staying behind “you are to follow Suga and Kiyoko’s lead unless we send a crow stating otherwise.”

With that, the discussion was over.

* * *

 

 

The library was cluttered at the best of times, with both Moniwa and Kenma residing there on a daily basis things were rarely organised. That day was no different, except for the satchel on the table being prepared for the journey north. Moniwa watched silently as Kenma moved around the room deciding what was deemed necessary to take with him into the unknown. Hinata wasn't so silent.

"But Kenma, it's going to be dangerous." He said for the fourth time.

"Yes, but so was reversing Kiyoko's curse, yet I survived that." Kenma replied, placing several different potions into the satchel with the bundle of raw ingredients that could be added for a more fatal concoction. "Shoyo, I understand that you think this is a bad idea, that me going is the most dangerous thing I could be doing, but I know I can trust my skills to see me through."

Hinata pouted slightly as Kenma slipped two simple daggers into the satchel. "If I need to defend myself, these will do the job."

Hinata wasn't convinced, he wanted to believe Kenma would be okay but Yaku seemed pretty adamant that this was no walk in the park.

"I wanna go--"

"No." Kenma said firmly. "You stay with Nishinoya, that's where you will be needed the most."

The alchemist returned to collecting his things together, not deviating even when he heard the door swing open and then slam shut. Moniwa cleared his throat, unsure what to do or say in the situation.

"He is young, but he has potential." Kenma uttered. "If this is as dangerous as Yaku claims, I don't want him in danger."

"But you're going." The other pointed out.

"True. But that is because I owe it to Tetsurou. He's given me so much, and in return I've done barely anything."

"But he's your friend, you don't need to 'give back' in that sense. Just be here for him and offer him your friendship."

Kenma shook his head. "You don't know what he's been through, to be able to give so much to those he barely knows. It's admirable, but knowing what caused all of it makes me want to give back."

Moniwa had the sense not to ask any more. He nodded and asked if Kenma needed any help collecting last minute supplies, figuring if he was at least somewhat useful, then that would be enough.

Meanwhile, Hinata had bolted straight out of the library and into the courtyard. He couldn't understand why Kenma, the one who barely got involved in killing, wanted to go on a death mission. He ran his hands through his hair and tugged, the chill in the air making his eyes sting as he swallowed the urge to scream and startle the horses.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the other person approaching.

"Hinata?" Akaashi asked quietly.

"Nngh." Was all Hinata could say.

Akaashi didn't need to touch him to know what had happened. He gently wrapped an arm around Hinata's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Hinata allowed the gesture, burying his face in Akaashi's chest and letting out ragged breaths as Akaashi rubbed his back. As their contact continued, Akaashi found himself radiating calm thoughts, the laboured breathing of the other slowed to a normal pace until Hinata pulled away.

"Aren't you scared?"

"Huh?" Akaashi cocked his head slightly. "Of what?"

"Of Kuroo not coming back?"

A small pained smile graced Akaashi's face. "Well, a little. I love him, so of course I'm a little scared."

"I love Kenma--well not in the same way but I don't want him to die" Hinata babbled out until Akaashi gently cupped his face.

"I know, and it's normal to be scared about our guild-brothers." He calmly replied. "But we have to trust in them, in their skills, in their desire to live."

"But Kenma isn't a warrior like Daichi or Tanaka!"

"True, but he has his tricks." Akaashi let his hand fall back to his side. "He may not typically carry a blade, but he can be just as lethal. You have to trust that he's not agreeing to go just to die. He's going because he wants to help Kuroo."

"Why aren't you going?"

The question stung a little, Akaashi somewhat wanted to go but he knew he'd distract Kuroo. He also knew leaving the guild virtually defenceless was asking for trouble; Nishinoya and Hinata couldn't hold down the fort by themselves and Kindaichi would be the only other warrior once Kiyoko left.

“Because the guild needs to be protected whilst they’re gone. Besides, I trust Kuroo will come back. I know he will do everything in his power to return to me." He held up his hand to show the silver band that was the heirloom Kuroo held dear. "And that is what this ring promises."

Hinata sniffed, rubbing his eyes rigorously before inhaling deeply. "Then why are you out here and not with him now? Surely you should be with him until he leaves?"

Akaashi chuckled slightly. "Don't worry Hinata, we will have our time. I'm just going to prepare their horses for them whilst I wait. Why don’t you go and see if Bokuto needs help packing anything?"

The new task seemed to satisfy the mage enough to send him back into the guild with a renewed hope. Akaashi sighed heavily, not appreciating quite how easily Hinata reminded him that Kuroo could very well die on this trip. He busied himself with preparing Yuki and Amaya for the trip north; the two faster mares that would be suitable for any hasty escape but also less dangerous on narrow mountain passes. The methodical process of applying saddles, hooking up reins and saddlebags, brushing out manes and offering apples to hungry mouths were good ways to distract him from the uneasiness pooling inside of him.

The crunching of stones underfoot alerted him to Kuroo's presence. The strong but gentle arms wrapping around his waist were a familiar comfort as he leaned back into Kuroo's embrace.

"So you're really going to wipe them out?" Akaashi asked quietly.

"I'll have a decent stab at it, yeah." Kuroo replied.

"Are you sure you're ready? Who knows what they've been up to since you left."

Kuroo hummed, letting Akaashi turn around in his embrace so they were face to face. "I am." He nodded. "I'll have Bokuto and Daichi watching my back, we'll be fine."

Akaashi rested his forehead against Kuroo's shoulder, the conversation with Hinata fresh in his mind. "Don't die." He whispered. "Seriously, don't die."

"I have no intention of dying Keiji."

"If you do, I'll do the necromancy ritual myself just so I can kill you for dying when I told you not to."

“You sound like Bokuto,” Kuroo playfully poked Akaashi’s side “but you'd do it again to get me back right?"

Akaashi laughed, lightly hitting Kuroo's chest for making a joke out of it. "I'll think about it, you pain-in-the-ass."

It was Kuroo's turn to laugh as he squeezed Akaashi a little tighter. "That's a yes then." He remarked, kissing Akaashi's cheek and prompting the other to look at him directly.

"That's a 'you're so dead if it comes to that'." Akaashi corrected, closing the gap between them in a soft kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will be delayed by a few days due to some technical issues i am having. There will definitely be an update between the 3rd of June and the 10th, just not sure when in that time as of yet.  
> For more info i made a post over on [my tumblr](https://the-tiny-tsundere.tumblr.com/post/174471894488/psa-for-any-followers-who-read-my-fanfic-my)


	7. Kitamine Bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, so in case you didn't see [my tumblr](https://the-tiny-tsundere.tumblr.com/post/174471894488/psa-for-any-followers-who-read-my-fanfic-my) post, I'm having some computer issues currently which is causing minor chaos in my life right now. This fic shouldn't be affected too much by this as I've got the next two chapters saved to my google drive but if it takes a little longer than expected to sort everything out then I may have to delay updating for a few days.
> 
> Thank-you for your patience and understanding!

  
**VI**

**Kitamine Bound**

 

A large oak table stretched out in front of Tooru, men and women dressed in their best attire sat along the ornate table either side of him. Each of them had several summers on him, each had their own wisdom to impart to him in times of need, each had their own agendas deep down under the guise of assisting him. This was his war council, the chosen elite of provinces across his kingdom who commanded his subjects, collected taxes, spread his laws from the northern border down to the southern coast.

He somewhat wondered how his father put up with their meddling.

"Sire, if we may discuss the issue of your heir--" One uttered, grey beard shifting as he spoke.

"With all due respect Lord Honjou, this is not the time." Another interrupted, a younger nobleman who's hair still maintained its natural dark colour. "His majesty should be worrying more about the reports of unease in the eastern towns."

"And with all due respect to you Lord Makino," Lord Honjou slammed his fist on the table "the stability of the kingdom relies on the House having a clear line of succession."

Tooru sighed, rubbing his forehead as the two bickered. Iwaizumi smirked slightly as he stood beside the throne-like chair at the head of the table, he always found the bickering lords amusing to watch as they reminded him of little children arguing over a toy. Except these children commanded small armies and were renowned for making a lot of hollow threats towards those they hated. But these threats often amounted to nothing once Iwaizumi unsheathed his sword to polish it, which he did often during these council meetings.

"Enough." Tooru raised his voice a little, silencing the two before the argument could continue. "Lord Honjou, I will discuss my heir when I've actually got the luxury of thinking about such mundane matter. And Lord Makino, the unease in the eastern towns is simply the product of a rumour-mill, it isn't important."

"But--" Both Lords made to argue but thought better of it as Iwaizumi's hand hovered over the hilt of his sword. The royal guard didn't make a habit of threatening the lords, but sometimes they needed to remember who was really in charge of the kingdom.

"My main concern," Tooru continued "is not of petty squabbles over small-town crimes, but the fact that I have a renowned bandit clan operating in my kingdom and no-one has gotten rid of them."

"The Serpents." A female voice murmured, one of the two Ladies present in the council nodded slowly. “Last sighted in the north if I’m not mistaken?”

"Yes, Lord Takamatsu you govern the north-west fringe, correct?" Tooru locked eyes with the elderly man, he was one of the more 'quiet but could easily cause you a headache' nobles. "What's the situation up there?"

The man was built like a workhorse; broad shoulders, thick neck and one could tell he had been a blacksmith in his youth with how toned his arms were. He boasted a large moustache that framed his mouth and shifted whenever he spoke. He nodded as he reached up and toyed with one side of his moustache.

"They've been a problem." He stated simply. "Our main city of Kitamine has been shackled by them for a few summers, the city guard has accepted bribes to not interfere, they've also been threatened by the bandits and even killed in skirmishes."

"And what have _you_ done to get rid of them?"

"What do you want me to do?" Lord Takamatsu raised an eyebrow. "Sire, Kitamine is a powerhouse of mining, over half of our building resources come from her mountainside mines, and that's not counting the runestone veins."

"And?" Tooru was getting impatient. "All the more reason to get the slithery fucks out of there."

Lord Takamatsu inhaled deeply. "There is concern that any attempt to de-root the Serpents will result in all-out civil war. There are many residents that have dealings with them, that are offered protection by them, walking an army in there and killing them will destabilise--"

"Iwaizumi." Tooru interrupted, holding up a hand.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Order Yamamoto to take his lead unit to Kitamine immediately. I want a proper evaluation of the situation."

"Do you want me to send Shirabu with him?"

"Sure, he may see something a knight won't." Tooru kept his gaze on Lord Takamatsu whose eyes had widened in shock at the abrupt order.

"As you wish." Iwaizumi brought his closed fist to his chest over his heart and bowed before pacing out of the room.

"Sire, I don't mean to question--"

"Then don't," Tooru stated. "I accept that you are the Lord of the region and you know the situation better than most. However, it is obvious to me that you have become somewhat complacent with how things are, you don't seem in a hurry to act despite the reports of callous murder and bribery."

The remaining council members exchanged glances as Tooru stood up but made no move to leave the table.

"So I'm sending my knight and his lead unit to put on a show of strength and my court mage to give me a brutally honest reading of the situation." He declared. "And once they return, I will make a more informed decision about how to deal with the Serpents, and if it should come to an armed response, then it will be done."

Lord Takamatsu swallowed, drumming his fingers on the table. "As you wish Sire, may I offer your knight some information about the area before he leaves? It will shorten the journey time and ensure he is prepared for what he may face."

Tooru nodded. The rest of the council rose to their feet and bowed as the king turned and left the room. Iwaizumi met him in the hallway, bowing in greeting before informing him that Yamamoto and Shirabu were preparing to leave before sundown. Tooru continued walking along the hallways towards his chamber, Iwaizumi falling a few steps behind him.

Within the confines of his chamber, Tooru let out a loud heavy sigh. Iwaizumi chuckled a little as he closed the door and walked over to Tooru. The two remained silent for a few moments as Tooru removed the golden circlet and ruffled his flattened hair before replacing it.

"Lord Honjou needs to drop the heir thing," Tooru stated. "otherwise he may find himself unable to have heirs of his own."

Iwaizumi snorted. "I can arrange for that to happen."

"Hajime, I was joking."

"I know, I was too...mostly."

Tooru burst into a fit of giggles, shaking his head as Iwaizumi chuckled a little. He began pacing the room, white cape flowing as he walked towards the large window that overlooked the courtyard below. The horses were being assembled ahead of the knights leaving for Kitamine, each one adorned with a blanket carrying the colours of House Oikawa.

"What do you think Yamamoto will find in Kitamine?"

Iwaizumi joined him at the window, the stable boys were rushing around with buckets of water and feed for the horses. It was organised chaos as the familiar figure of Yamamoto strode out from the guard barracks and started barking orders at the lower ranking soldiers.

"Well, he'll find a mining town first and foremost. As to how he'll be received by the residents...hard to tell. Your father wasn't exactly renowned for giving the north-west much attention, that's how this started in the first place."

Tooru hummed in agreement. Whilst he had worshipped his father, as he grew older and learnt more about how the kingdom was run, he became aware that his father has his focus firmly planted in certain matters and left everything else to govern itself. It had mixed success, lords like Takamatsu had become lazy, others had taken advantage of the system - those were long gone, some from the court, others from existence, that had been Tooru's first show of strength as king. He had his work cut out for him if he was to bring his kingdom to glory.

"So, do you think we'll need to be heavy-handed?"

Iwaizumi nodded. "The Blue Serpents are known throughout the kingdom for a reason, and it's not because they're charitable and feed orphans. They don't take prisoners."

"Tell Yamamoto to be prepared for a frosty reception, but also tell him not to kill unnecessarily." Tooru sighed. "I don't want a reputation for being completely ruthless."

"Just a tad." Iwaizumi remarked.

"Enough to keep the council in line and my people safe."

"Of course."

Tooru turned away from the window, gaze meeting Iwaizumi's immediately. Iwaizumi could see the uncertainty in the other's eyes, the brief flicker of not knowing what to do flashing across his features before he looked away again.

"...what should I do about the lack of an heir?" Tooru breathed, hands coming up to his chest and fingers toying with the family ring. "My mother hasn't hassled me about it yet but...the expectation is there to marry a noble girl and..." he trailed off, the uncertainty falling away and making for a more determined expression. "No."

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not doing it."

"Uh, elaborate?" Iwaizumi smiled, trying to find the punchline for the joke that hadn't been uttered.

"I'm not marrying some noble girl just to have her bear my child. It's immoral." Tooru began pacing the room again, more sure of himself as his footsteps rang out in the large room. "Why should I force her into a marriage not based on love?"

Iwaizumi knew the answer, the answer that the council would give anyway. “Because you need to carry on your family’s bloodline to secure the succession."

Tooru snorted. "So what? Having a child for a convenience sake isn't something I want to do. If I want a son or daughter then I want to be able to love them like my parents loved me, like my mother continues to love me. Sure I'm the only solid heir to this throne but before I was told that I was going to be king one day at the age of ten, I was just a child loved unconditionally by his parents. Parents who truly loved each other."

"Your parents weren't an arranged marriage, were they?"

Tooru smiled, shaking his head. "No. My mother was a sought-after noble girl in another kingdom, my father won her heart without even revealing he was the crown prince. They fell in love without the burden of titles and expectations hanging over them. A bond built on genuine feelings for one another." He stopped pacing, toying with the family ring again. "My mother stood by my father through everything, when my grandfather died she left her home kingdom to become queen of this one. She did so out of love, to want to support my father."

"And she had you out of love?" Iwaizumi asked, knowing some of the story already but never getting enough of the fond smile on Tooru's face whenever he recalled it.

"Yeah, my older sister could've become queen easily enough. I was born because my mother wanted another child, a child to love unconditionally. It was pure luck that my sister married into another kingdom - her own desire - and left me to be the heir of this one." Tooru shrugged. "I swore that when I became king, I would only marry someone if I felt the fierce love for them that my mother felt for my father."

"And nothing less?" Iwaizumi asked with a knowing smile.

"Nothing less," Tooru repeated back, holding Iwaizumi's gaze with a soft smile. "though I doubt the council will appreciate me trying to marry you."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as he scoffed. "I don't need a piece of parchment to make me promise to protect you with my life, hell I do that anyway as my job."

"True, but you wouldn't have to sneak into my chambers every night."

"It's hardly sneaking when half the palace servants know about it."

Tooru laughed, his eyes cheerful and bright once more as he stepped closer to Iwaizumi. There were a few moments where they simply regarded each other with soft smiles before Iwaizumi offered his hands to the other. Tooru gladly took them and entwined their fingers, squeezing Iwaizumi's hands as he pressed his forehead against Iwaizumi's.

"Hajime,"

"Hmm?" Iwaizumi breathed.

"do you think we could get married? When the kingdom is more stable and I'm not being harassed about bandits?"

Iwaizumi smiled. "If that's what my king wants."

"What did I tell you about titles when we're alone?"

A raised eyebrow convinced Tooru that Iwaizumi hadn't forgotten at all. "I was merely stating that if you wish for us to get married, then I have no objections Tooru. But you will still be my king regardless."

Tooru giggled breathlessly. "Good to hear."

 

* * *

 

With a route plotted to Kitamine, the party got on the road well before dusk. There was an unspoken tension in the air, the feeling that not all of them would come back in one piece hung over the entire guild. Yaku put himself at the head of the convoy, stating that recalling his way home would be easier than trying to follow a strict route. Daichi and Kuroo didn't object, allowing the slightly disgruntled assassin to lead Amaya along the road. There were some members of the party who were in high spirits, Bokuto and Tanaka were eager for adventure as they walked side by side. Bokuto was equally eager to see how his improvements to everyone's armour would work under stress.

"So," Tanaka yawned, rubbing his shoulder where the leather padding was chafing. "you reckon we'll have to crack a few skulls?"

"Ooh, maybe." Bokuto hummed. "I haven't seen a good fight in a while."

Tanaka laughed. "You sound like Hinata."

"Eh? Well, that's cause everytime someone goes and gets into a fight, I'm the poor sucker that's stuck at home hitting the dents out of your armour."

"Spare a thought for Daichi then, he's the one who has to square away all the payments." Tanaka shrugged.

Kenma had tuned out most of the conversation, Yuki plodded behind Amaya without much hesitation and required very little attention, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He did have to admit that he felt guilty about being so blunt with Hinata but he needed Hinata to understand that the danger of death wasn't going to deter him from going. The nightmares had long ceased, the smell of burning homes and faint screams of agony nothing more than distant memories to him now. He may have forgotten the horrors of that day, but he did not forget how Kuroo had saved him. It was that gesture of kindness even when Kuroo's own world was turning upside down, that made Kenma determined to accompany Kuroo back to those who had hurt him.

"Are we gonna make camp before sundown Daichi?" Bokuto called.

"As close to sundown as possible, travelling at night is only going to ask for trouble." Daichi replied. "But equally I don't want to waste time."

The sky was clear as they continued, no sign of rain as far as the eye could see. The mountains in the distance were capped in snow, a promise of much colder weather to come on their journey north. For most of the afternoon the group was quiet; Kenma was lost to his own thoughts as Bokuto and Tanaka spoke in detail about potential upgrades to armour and weapons. Yaku was far enough in front to ward off any conversation, the feeling of irritation rolling off him in waves as Kuroo and Daichi kept whatever conversation they were having in softer tones. Neither horse seemed bothered by the journey ahead of them, both of them had originated from the northern regions so the winter chill didn't unsettle them in the slightest.

Kenma shivered a little, he may have lived in the north before but he had grown accustomed to the warmer central region. The wind chill made his skin sting, his entire body felt cold despite the layers of leather. He made a mental note to find one of the fur jackets within the bundles of supplies. Kuroo deviated from walking with Daichi and began walking beside Yuki, rubbing the mare's neck as he seemed to wait for the right moment to speak.

"I still think you're crazy for coming with us." He said, Kenma was about to make an unimpressed reply before Kuroo met his gaze with a small smile. "But I'm glad you are, I mean, that you'll have our backs."

Kenma smiled slightly, cheeks reddening a little at the corny remark. "Yeah, besides someone has to make sure you don't end up dead."

Kuroo chuckled, reaching up and playfully shoving Kenma. "And someone also has to slap some sense into me...and you're slightly scarier than Keiji."

A smirk spread across Kenma's face. "Does he know you think that?"

"God no!" Kuroo exclaimed "and don't you dare tell him, he'll kill me."

"Then you better make sure you don't annoy me too much Kuro."

"Noted, loud and clear."

The two shared a small laugh, the daylight beginning to fade a little as the winding road took them into a valley. The foliage was scarce in the harsh winter; dormant shrubs littered the mountainsides and fields, a river fighting the deep freeze flowed down from the peak, a large ledge jutting out of the base of one mountain allowed water to cascade down into a large pool. It was by the side of the waterfall that Daichi declared they would make camp.

The horses were allowed to drink from the pool as they made camp, a roaring fire was set in place immediately with little hassle. Bedrolls were unrolled and arranged close together, a large piece of thin tanned leather was propped up with fallen tree branches to form a small cover in case of rain. Kenma found some of the meat Suga had provided them to eat and began making a basic stew with it, enjoying the warmth of the fire on his face.

Daichi sat cross-legged near the light of the fire examining a map, faded ink lines stretched across the old parchment, creases ran where it had been folded and unfolded multiple times in its lifetime, faint rings from tankards having been placed on top of it remained over city markers. He hummed in thought as he traced the roads with his fingers, muttering about old roads and passes between the mountains. Yaku peered over his shoulder and snorted, stating that half the roads on the map will be inaccessible by now due to rock slides and snow. Kuroo rolled his eyes, sitting on Kenma's other side and made a small remark about Yaku having a stick up his ass.

"So, we pass through this valley," Daichi said, not paying much attention to Yaku's comment. "there's a road that leads further north before going west. It'll be colder but we won't be spotted as easily."

"It also adds more days to the trip." Tanaka pointed out. "Are we sure we can afford to spare those days?"

"In the interest of not tipping them off to our presence, yes."

Kuroo shook his head. "Heading true north is asking for trouble, they usually have scouts and hunters in the woods. The western trail by the coast will be safer."

Kenma gently plucked the map from Daichi's hands and began examining it for himself. There were three clearly inked paths; the northern pass, the western trail and the central road. Squinting at the markings, he saw a narrow line the split from the western trail and headed directly towards the town of Kitamine between two mountain peaks. He nudged Kuroo and pointed to it.

"What about this one?"

Kuroo followed his finger and shook his head. "That's an old mine." He sighed. "It'll be closed off probably."

"Then surely it's the best path?" Bokuto asked. "If it's been closed off, then no-one will be expecting us to use it."

"An old mine, yeah, that can't possibly go wrong," Yaku remarked. "tunnel collapses, wild animals, bandits, traps...yeah no danger whatsoever..."

"This entire journey reeks of danger Yaku." Tanaka replied. "An old mine is nothing compared to what we've faced so far."

Daichi took the map back and looked at the new option for himself. It did seem a more direct path to the town than the others, but it did come with its own risks. He considered how likely any of Yaku's suggestions would come true, then how they knew this journey wouldn't be without hazards.

"Well, it will get us there quicker..."

Yaku rubbed his forehead. "Y'know what? I'm not even gonna say it, you know I think you're crazy."

"That we are." Bokuto grinned. "C'mon Morisuke," he put an arm around Yaku's shoulders, "think about it, we're the warriors of the guild, the best of the best, the swordsmen that never lose--"

"You better be going somewhere with this..." Yaku scowled at the heavy arm draped across his shoulders.

"What I'm saying, is that we can handle anything they throw at us. That's why we're here right? To kick their sorry asses back to whatever foxhole they crawled out of. So what's an old mine got on us anyhow? Like Kuroo said, it'll be sealed up probably so Kenma will have to blow it open at both ends, which means nothing will be inside."

"You do realise that these mines usually have more than one entrance, right?" Yaku sighed, the irritation that had been there previously melting away a little. "And not all of them would've been sealed properly."

Bokuto scoffed, waving dismissively. "But that's part of the adventure!"

Kuroo and Tanaka laughed as Yaku shook his head but cracked a smile. Daichi let out a small sigh of relief as Yaku seemed to lose his frosty attitude towards them. Kenma deemed the stew to be ready and served it out into wooden clay bowls for them all. They ate under the clear night sky, the sun having set as they poured over the map, stars flickered in the dark blue hue as darkness crept over the land. Flames danced as Tanaka fed the fire some more kindling, the warmth being appreciated by each of them as they huddled around it.

"So I guess we're taking the slightly-risky mining road?" Kuroo asked as he pulled Kenma into his hold, the alchemist frowned slightly at the man-handling but appreciated the warmth Kuroo radiated.

"Sure." Daichi nodded. "I agree that it's most likely the safest in terms of not getting spotted. We'll get the jump on them."

"What kind of mine would it have been then?" Tanaka asked.

"Either iron or runestones." Yaku said. "Kitamine is famous for being close to many runestone veins and that's partly how they made the town so profitable."

"Is it going to explode?"

"Why _the fuck_ would it explode?"

Tanaka shrugged. "Mines explode sometimes when fire gets involved."

"And why would we be taking fire into the mine?"

"Well I don't know how _else_ we're gonna see."

Daichi sighed heavily. "Alright, cut it out. We should sleep soon, I want to be on the road at dawn."

There was a nod of agreement and Tanaka volunteered to take first watch as Daichi and Bokuto started getting ready to sleep. Kuroo showed no sign of moving as Yaku got up to see both horses were settled on the bank of the pool. Kenma was feeling drowsy as the flickering flames danced in front of him, the warmth of the stew and the fire felt heavenly against his cold body along with Kuroo's warm embrace.

He didn't realise that only Kuroo and Tanaka were left awake with him until they started a soft murmur of conversation over the constant drone of the waterfall. He watched the onslaught of cold water cascading off the ledge, moonlight casting the pool in a silvery glow, water rippling as the white spray kicked up. It was quiet enough to sleep, yet loud enough to prevent silence falling.

"So do you really think we'll find the Serpents there?" Tanaka asked, the tale-tell sound of his greatsword being unsheathed ringing out.

Kenma shuffled slightly in Kuroo's lap to watch the warrior polish the steel, symbols similar to runestones were carved into it but they were not magical in nature they were a simple statement, almost like a prayer; With the lightning, comes the thunder. When he had first seen it, its meaning had puzzled him for a while until he asked Nishinoya, the mage had grinned and explained that it was a jokey motto they had whilst they were travelling together; that he was the lightning and Tanaka was the thunder. The fact Tanaka had gone to the trouble of engraving such a statement into his sword spoke great lengths to Kenma about how much the warrior valued Nishinoya as not just a friend, but his partner in battle.

"Well, Kitamine is infamous for being the rough town of the realm." Kuroo replied, fingers idly going to playing with Kenma's hair. "When I was growing up, if you went to Kitamine you were expected to get robbed at knife-point at least once in every five visits."

Tanaka nodded. "Huh, you've never really said much about your childhood now that I think about it. I mean Yuu and I have been in and out a lot, but I hear a lot of stories from Bokuto and Hinata about their pasts."

There was a pause, the twigs in the fire snapped as Kuroo's fingers continued to twirl locks of Kenma's hair. "I mean, there's not much to say."

"Eh, if you say so." Tanaka knew not to push the guild brothers to reveal stuff if they didn't want to. He knew some of them were not as fortunate as him to have a 'good' childhood. "My sis talked about going to Kitamine once or twice."

"Oh yeah?" Kuroo hummed.

"Yep, our da was having none of it though." Tanaka sniggered. "He was all like 'if you go up there, you'll find yourself working in a brothel!'"

"So did she ever go?"

"Oh yeah, you can't tell Saeko not to go somewhere. In fact, she went to Kitamine, ended up in three bar fights, won fifty gold pieces in a card game and came back with this giant blue runestone." Tanaka grinned, demonstrating the size of the stone by holding up his fist.

"...well damn, why isn't she part of the guild?" Kuroo remarked.

Tanaka laughed. "Oh man, she was running with a group of mercs for a while, had a bit of a side job as a courier after that...dunno what she's doing now, might be with a pirate company."

"Misaki's?"

"Nah, this one is like...led by some bearded bloke." Tanaka shrugged. "Wouldn't be surprised if she causes a mutiny and becomes captain."

Kenma snorted. "So that's where you got your rebellious streak?"

"A little." Tanaka focused on his sword again, wiping the tip with a rag that was stained with blood. "She was certainly more willing to teach me how to handle myself in a fight than most sisters."

Kuroo tossed a few sticks onto the fire, stifling a yawn as he did so. "I guess if Daichi wants to leave at dawn, we better sleep."

Kenma nodded, though making no effort to leave the warmth of Kuroo's hold. Tanaka stood up, placing his sword aside as he did so, and stretched as he made a comment about taking advantage of the pool of water 'just sitting there'. Kuroo chuckled and agreed to take the second watch in a few hours as Tanaka strode over to the small pool.

"Are you gonna sleep in your own bedroll or nah?" Kuroo remarked quietly to Kenma.

"Do I have to?" Kenma grumbled.

"No, but I wanna take a piss first."

Kenma snorted, elbowing Kuroo in the side as he rolled off his lap and made his way to a bedroll. "Hurry up, I'm cold."

"Yeah I will." Kuroo sighed, standing up and glancing up at the starry sky. If they weren't on their way to complete such a depressing job, he'd almost say he was enjoying this trip.


	8. Tough Love

  
**VII**

**Tough Love**

 

The tunnels of the guild felt a lot emptier without the Kitamine party. There were still enough brothers present for it to not be completely empty, but it was hard not to notice the usual clattering from the armoury or the smells of potions brewing in Kenma's library. Hinata had found the entire thing jarring, he wasn't used to so many of his new family being away together. He found himself watching Moniwa reading into how to brew a new fire bomb of sorts, which wasn't exciting in the slightest when the scholar would sit for hours on end with his nose in a book and deep in thought.

Akaashi and Nishinoya had voiced their concern at Suga, Kenma's departure had evidently left Hinata feeling lost and he wasn't showing any sign of improving. With Suga and Kiyoko due to leave for Tanishiti in a few days time, the interim guild leader found himself trying to solve a problem he had never faced before. It was during a vent at Kiyoko that the warrior suggested she tried something out with Hinata, Suga was all too happy to allow her to try.

"Shoyo?" She called softly from the doorway, Moniwa barely registered her presence as Hinata sat up a little and glanced her way. She made a 'come here' gesture and waited for him to sluggishly walk over to her. She noted the dark shadows under his eyes, the lack of a smile and the distant look in his gaze. 

"Hey," He murmured as she let him step out of the library. "something you need Kiyoko?"

She smiled but the concern in her eyes was clear. "Come with me Shoyo."

He nodded and followed her outside, Kindaichi was just settling Raimei back into his stall after taking him out for some exercise when he noticed the pair in the courtyard. Kiyoko was in her full training armour, complete with katana, and Hinata was looking more like a hermit than a battle-mage with his stained jacket and messy hair.

"So, you don't seem to be doing much." Kiyoko remarked, gesturing to Hinata's dishevelled appearance. "What happened to daily training?"

Hinata yawned and shrugged. "I don't feel like it."

Kiyoko shook her head, ponytail swishing as she did. "Is it because Kenma isn't here?"

The other looked down at his feet, kicking a stone away. "Maybe..."

Kiyoko gently cupped his face and made him meet her gaze. "Well, all the more reason to train hard for when he gets back. You should try and perfect your fire armour."

Hinata shook his head. "I need Bokuto to make my regular armour fire-proof so I don't burn myself."

With a rapid movement, Kiyoko's katana was drawn, the square blade barely inches from Hinata's nose, his eyes widened as he stared down the length of the steel. "May I suggest something?"

"S-Sure." Hinata replied quickly.

"Practice without the armour. Let yourself bare the wounds of training, they'll make you stronger." She lowered her blade and swapped to her other hand, holding out her main sword-hand towards Hinata. The marks of training were clear in the lines cut into her palm, strength was evident when she grasped the hilt. "Playing it safe all the time only raises a soft warrior, that's what I was always taught."

Hinata examined her hand, eyes focused as he reached out and traced the blister marks from years of sword training. He seemed deep in thought as he glanced up at her, orange eyes bright like a late summer sunset. He bit on his lip slightly in thought before nodding.

"Okay."

It occurred to Kindaichi as he watched the exchange, that he had never seen Kiyoko sparring with anyone inside the guild. He knew she had trained with Daichi a few times, the guild leader favoured a rapier blade so it made sense to try and best one another, but those sessions always took place at night so not to distract the others. He leaned against the wall of the stable as he watched Hinata back away and strip his jacket off, revealing a sleeveless shirt underneath. His arms were marked with friction burns from recent training with Nishinoya but he didn't seem fazed as Kiyoko gave her katana a few experimental swings, the blade cutting through the air with ease.

Hinata let out a short breath, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes. Kiyoko waited as he inhaled deeply and focused, visualising the flames running along his arms, looping around his chest, forming a living barrier between him and any blade he'd come across. The runestones on his chain shimmered as he opened his eyes, bringing his arms away from his chest - through the barrier without disturbing it - and summoning ice in his palms with ease.

"Not bad." Kiyoko remarked, a determined look about her as she dug her heels into the dirt. "Now let's see how long you can sustain it. And don't feel bad about losing to me Hinata, I was tipped to be the royal guard after all."

Hinata gritted his teeth but smiled. He knew Kiyoko was only using fighting talk to get him fired up - literally - and didn't see him as any less than a friend. He braced himself for an onslaught of lunges but instead found Kiyoko side-stepping around him. The katana winked in the sunlight as she bought it up to strike. He jumped back, deflecting it with hastily formed icicles.

The two continued trading blows, some connecting whilst others missed. Kindaichi watched from afar, noting how Kiyoko wasn't holding back as each swing, lunge and stab was directed to injure. Hinata however, was playing it safer, not aiming for her head or torso but more at her blade. It was an interesting show to watch, so much so that he didn't realise Kunimi had dropped onto the stable roof until he spoke.

"Huh, so he can summon the barrier then."

"--fucking hell" Kindaichi sighed, clutching his chest for a split second. "Yeah, he's keeping it up too, but he's not attacking properly."

Kunimi hummed in response. Kiyoko wasn't letting up as she firmly struck Hinata in the ribs, flames licked the steel as they worked to deflect it.

"He ought to use ice for armour," Kunimi stated. "Fire is offensive, not defensive."

"True." Kindaichi nodded. "But fire is his main element."

"So? The kid can master three of them, I'm sure he can use ice for armour, fire for a sword and summon a thunderstorm all at once..."

Kindaichi glanced at Kunimi with a raised eyebrow. "Someone's feeling sassy today."

Kunimi cracked a smile, humming as he stood up on the roof. "Look, if I have to depend on him in a fight or die situation, I want to know he can actually deliver." His hand went to his leather pouch, drawing a shuriken and twirling it between his fingers. "I'm not being an asshole, I just want peace of mind."

"I don't know if Suga will see it that way," Kindaichi shrugged, looking back to the sparring duo. Hinata had started using his lightning bolts as Kiyoko seemed to change tactics; making smarter, well-calculated blows as opposed to an unforgiving onslaught. "just try not to make him bleed too much."

Kunimi smirked, watching Hinata lose his footing on the turned up dirt and narrowly avoid Kiyoko's blade severing his arm. He pulled his arm back and aimed carefully, Kindaichi's remark fresh in his mind as he launched the disc. The sharp edges cut through the air much like an arrow, nicking Hinata's exposed shoulder before embedding itself in the dirt.

A sharp yelp signalled that the mage had noticed it, yet he didn't pause in his motions. Blood beading at the wound went unnoticed as Hinata ducked under another swing of the katana, resorting to basic hand-to-hand combat to try and gain the upper hand. Two punches landed before Kiyoko abruptly took his legs out from under him with her own, katana being sheathed whilst he was on the ground.

"Dirty tactics." She remarked, closing her fists and taking up a defensive stance as he stood up. "Learn those from Kuroo by any chance?"

Hinata wiped at his mouth, dirt smeared across his cheek, his arms covered in red marks from the katana pushing his barrier against him. His flames pulsed as he panted, staring her down with a determined smile.

"No, Akaashi." He replied, letting his barrier fade. "Nishinoya taught me something else though." He let his hands close into fists, squeezing until his knuckles turned white. With a loud crack, shards of ice formed over his knuckles, glinting in the sunlight.

"Well that's a first." Kiyoko raised an eyebrow, letting Hinata mirror her stance. "Not that it'll help you much."

She gave little warning as she lunged, sucker punching him before bringing her knee up to his stomach. He let out an 'oof' as he was winded, recovering quickly and returning the sucker punch. They traded blows once more, both ending up on the ground a number of times, kicking up dust as they did so.

"She's still holding back a little." Kunimi grunted.

Kindaichi sighed. "Well, she doesn't wanna _kill_ him."

"No, but what does this achieve?"

"Be my guest to walk over and tell her she's not being an effective mentor."

Kunimi dropped down off the roof. "Y'know what, I think I will."

He brushed off Kindaichi's questioning gaze as he paced across the courtyard and called to Kiyoko. The duo halted abruptly and looked over to him, he cracked his neck followed by his knuckles and made sure his hair was tied back securely.

"My turn to spar Hinata." He announced. "He'll be less terrified to hit me."

Hinata looked mildly offended as Kiyoko giggled. She nodded as she looked between the two of them. "Go for it."

Kunimi smiled, shoving Hinata lightly to get him to focus. "C'mon Shoyo, no holding back."

"...okay."

"I mean it, give me hell." Kunimi continued. "You hold back in a real fight and you could find a blade in your chest."

The bluntness in his statement made Hinata hesitate for a second. He wasn't allowed to dwell too much as a fist came straight for his face. Reacting on instinct, he reached out and grabbed Kunimi's wrist, twisting his arm and throwing him to the ground. Kunimi grunted with the impact but kicked out at Hinata's shin, scrambling to his feet and abruptly pulling Hinata up by the shirt. A hand came up and struck Kunimi's face, bitterly cold shards scraping across his cheek, he retaliated with his own punch.

Kiyoko watched on as the two fought, it was barely a sparring session and more like a tavern fight. She felt a little uneasy at Kunimi's willing nature to cause pain, but she could see the reasoning behind his methods. She remembered her own training in her village taking a similar nature; the bloodied faces and open gashes from blunted swords were the least of their worries.

"Quit holding back!" Kunimi snapped, grabbing Hinata's arm and twisting it around his back. "You're a mage aren't you? Fucking show me already."

Kindaichi stepped beside Kiyoko and frowned. "Akira's being...a bit rough."

Kiyoko nodded. "I'm ready to step in if you reckon he's gotten in too deep." She said, hand reaching for her katana.

"No, maybe he needs to work through it...but I'm more concerned for if--"

Hinata let out a loud shout as he shoved Kunimi away, straightening his arms and summoning his lightning bolts, panting as he tried to focus on Kunimi's actions.

Kunimi got to his feet and grinned as the sparks arched between Hinata's fingers. "Now we're talking." He breathed.

With another shout, Hinata began aiming directly for Kunimi. Sparks crackled through the air before hitting the ground, bright flashes of light being followed by loud bangs. Kunimi dodged and ducked out of range, hand hovering over his leather pouch before thinking otherwise. As the lightning continued to leave scorch marks in the ground, he watched Hinata's exhaustion catch up to him.

"Hinata's tired." Kindaichi observed, he was doubtful Kunimi would continue much longer, but he was also fearful for Suga's reaction if Hinata collapsed.

"But Kunimi is exposing a weakness," Kiyoko added "that Hinata's powers are mighty, but they come at a price."

"True, but is this _really_ a good way to do it?"

Kiyoko shrugged. "Maybe he thinks that Hinata needs to realise that he has to be mindful of his fighting strategy."

Kunimi sprinted towards Hinata, watching at surprise took hold in the mage's expression. The lightning failed to hit before Kunimi brought his forearm up to Hinata's neck and brought him crashing to the ground. He stilled, catching his own breath.

Hinata coughed and spluttered as Kunimi's forearm moved, his vision was swimming as he looked up at the sky. Kiyoko's concerned face came into view, albeit blurry and spinning a little, a gentle hand on his cheek made him smile.

"Are you okay?" She asked, Kunimi dusted himself off. A hand around his forearm spooked him slightly as Kindaichi hissed at him;

"What were you  _thinking_?"

"He needs to learn how to plan his attacks better." Kunimi answered, no trace of irritation at the other. "He just fires them off without thinking, there's no strategy whatsoever, no consideration for his limitations. We saw what happened in Kaiganzoimura, he exhausted himself during the ritual and I'm trying to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Kunimi shrugged off Kindaichi's grip and returned to Hinata, kneeling down and taking his hand. "Oi, don't pass out yeah? Suga will kill me."

Hinata let out a weak laugh. "I'll beat you next time."

"We'll see." Kunimi remarked. "You need to not overdo it. You're gonna be the cause of your own death."

Kiyoko helped Hinata to his feet. Between the three of them they looked more than a little worse for wear; mud and dirt covering their clothes and faces, faint bruises were beginning to form, Hinata's shoulder had blood smeared across it from the open wound and several red marks that looked like burns were obvious as they walked inside. They didn't get very far before Moniwa spotted them. He took one look at them before ushering them into the library before Suga saw them in their sorry state.

“I don’t want to know what you’ve been doing,” Moniwa shook his head as he pulled out Kenma’s bag of medical supplies and began unpacking various vials and jars. “But I’m not about to let you give Sugawara a heart attack over it.”

Kiyoko giggled. “Relax Moniwa, we were just sparring and got a little too into it.” She pulled out a stool for Hinata to sit on as he was the one with the most injuries. “I’ll take the blame if Sugawara seeks to place it on someone.”

“How noble of you.” Kunimi remarked.

“Well I was the one to suggest it in the first place,” She shrugged. “I simply didn’t intend for you to come barrelling in.”

Hinata hissed slightly as Moniwa applied a rag soaked in one of the many poultices against his arm wound. “It was fun though!” He looked to Kunimi “I’ll definitely beat you next time though!”

“I wasn’t even wearing the new gauntlets Bokuto made me, so you’re lucky I didn’t rearrange your jaw.” Kunimi snorted, letting Kiyoko examine his hands for signs of burns or gashes. “And I didn’t use any of my weapons.”

“But I would’ve summoned a sword if you had.” Hinata grinned.

Moniwa rolled his eyes slightly as they continued to try and one-up each other with words. He treated the open wounds on Hinata’s arms and hands before dressing them with the bandages Kenma set aside for mages. The burns would take a few hours to appear properly so he could only hope Suga didn’t notice them before then. Kiyoko was satisfied that Kunimi’s wounds only needed a small amount of healing balm applied to them before they’d heal in their own time, dismissing him from the impromptu infirmary.

“So, do you know what you learnt from that session Hinata?” Kiyoko asked as Moniwa moved to apply the balm to her wounds.

The mage looked down at his hands briefly. “Uh, well my fire barrier isn’t as good at deflecting things as I thought…”

“Ice would probably work better, it’s solid for one thing.” Moniwa chipped in. “Fire would work if you were in a volcano or something, it’ll protect you from the heat.”

Hinata nodded. “Uhm, I guess Kunimi pointed out something important…”

“That you don’t have a strategy?” Kiyoko supplied. “Well I’m sure we can work on that.”

“But how?”

Kiyoko smiled. “Well, there are books here in Kenma’s library that’ll help to a degree. But you’re a practical person so…”

“Kuroo and Daichi are good with strategies,” Moniwa said. “obviously you’ll have to wait until they get back, but I’m sure Daichi will be more than okay with teaching you basic fighting strategy.”

A grin was slowly spreading across Hinata’s face as his eyes lit up. Kiyoko and Moniwa shared a smile.

“So,” Kiyoko wanted to try and keep Hinata from bolting off into a frenzy of trying to learn everything immediately. “What you could do is ask Akaashi to give you some basic things to read about - maybe even practice some basic stuff - and then when Kuroo and Daichi return, you can jump straight into the more complex things.”

“Yes!” Hinata jumped up from the stool. “Yes, and then I can show Kenma and Tanaka how much better I’ve gotten at fighting!”

Without needing confirmation, Hinata bolted out of the room in search of Akaashi. Kiyoko and Moniwa chuckled at the abrupt mood swing.

“Well, I guess that’s cheered him up.” Moniwa remarked as he moved to pack away the medical supplies. “You have a way with mages don’t you?”

“He reminds me of someone I knew, that’s all.” Kiyoko shrugged. “He’s eager to learn new things, like a puppy. We just need to keep giving him opportunities to learn them.”

“Rather you than me.” Moniwa sighed. “I’ll just be here to patch him up when he gets injured.”

Kiyoko nodded. “Well I appreciate it, and I’m sure he does too.”

Moniwa shrugged, going back to the firebomb he had been engrossed in creating. Kiyoko quietly left him to it, closing the door softly behind her.

 

* * *

 

Suga waited three days before setting out for Tanishiti with Kiyoko. He didn't want to leave too abruptly after the Kitamine party, especially with how Hinata reacted to it all, but he didn't want to waste precious time either. They got their story straight the night before; using their normal guise of bounty hunters should anyone ask, and prepared Raimei for travel as soon as they woke the next morning. Akaashi was left in charge of the guild, tasked with sending and receiving messages from the Kitamine party and themselves whilst they were away.

The journey to Tanishiti was usually one that took all day, however Suga wasn't in the mood for a casual stroll down the main road. He urged Raimei to take a brisk pace, galloping when the road was flat and trotting whenever they deviated in order to save time. Kiyoko was unfazed by the urgency, knowing that the longer Kunimi remained a wanted criminal increased their chances of ending up on the bad side of some actual bounty hunters.

"There, on the horizon," Suga stated over the thundering hooves of the stallion "bet it's almost like coming home for you."

Kiyoko smiled, peering over Suga's shoulder ahead of them at the skyline; large towers dominated the view, the thick city wall boasting several of them with wisps of smoke from sentry fires rising steadily into the sky. She could make out the large iron gate that was raised, allowing visitors to the city. Above it the banner of House Oikawa flapped in the breeze; bright blue and white stripes behind a striking red bird of fire, black lettering stitched into it declaring the House’s motto;

**House Oikawa**

**Above all we Stand**

"A little." She called back just as Suga tugged a little on the reins to slow Raimei to a trot.  
  
As they got closer to the city they encountered visiting tradesmen, guards patrolling the road, street beggars, peasants bustling about trying to fulfil their daily duties. Suga hummed softly as he steered Raimei through the crowds with ease, used to dealing with bustling markets by now. Passing under the gates, the chatter from the crowds increased as they rode past market stalls. The large off-white stone buildings lined the streets, open windows allowing the smell of baking bread to filter out along with the sounds of normal everyday city life. Clotheslines stretched above them like tree branches, connecting each building to another in a chain. Laughter from little children filled the air as they passed by what looked like an orphanage, wide eyes looking up at them as Raimei stood out amongst the small mares and mules that frequented the city streets.

"So, plan?" Kiyoko murmured.

"We find somewhere to water Raimei, then we eavesdrop." Suga replied quietly, spotting a large plaza ahead where other horses were being watered and groomed by a team of stable hands. He halted the stallion and allowed Kiyoko to dismount before slipping out of the saddle himself. When approached by an eager young girl, he politely declined her offer to see to Raimei, insisting the stallion was 'temperamental with new people'. She nodded and told him where he could find water, food and even a local farrier for new shoes before hurrying off to see to another horse.

Kiyoko was used to people staring at her, whilst it was normal to see battle-maidens in the rural villages and towns, city dwellers weren't used to seeing such a young battle-maiden in armour - albeit it was mainly leather with chainmail covering her shoulders, biceps and secured over her leather pants for extra protection - and a katana on full show. She glanced around the plaza as Suga secured Raimei in a stall with food and water. There was a tavern on the street corner that seemed lively, but it wasn't likely to have much in the way of useful information, she then spotted what seemed to be a large notice board by the guardhouse. A noticeboard with what looked like a lot of bounty posters pinned to it.

As soon as Suga was satisfied Raimei wasn't going to cause a scene, they made their way over to the board. Parchment of varying ages littered the wooden planks, nails rusted on some of them giving an indication of how long some of the wanted had been on the run. Suga studied each in turn, making odd comments here and there to Kiyoko in an effort to seem legitimate to those around them.

"Stealing half a dozen goats from a farm in the south-west quarter of the city...causing a bar fight that resulted in three broken windows...making threats with a bucket?" He read out from three different posters. "Huh, they don't seem to have many dull days."

Kiyoko shook her head. "Yeah, but none of these are really that generous with rewards." She scoffed, noting the large mercenary to her left. "Clearly this place is nothing but petty crime central."

Suga shrugged. "Eh, but we need money Shimizu."

"I'm _not_ hunting down a bucket-wielding maniac. My blade deserves better than that Sugawara." They lingered at the board for a while, almost turning to leave when Kiyoko spotted the poster they were looking for. Suga frowned as he read the carefully inked words;

  
**WANTED**  
**For crimes against the Crown**  
**Former Palace Servant Akira Kunimi**  
**GENEROUS REWARD GRANTED FOR THE CAPTURE OF THE TRAITOR**

A dated sketch of Kunimi accompanied the words, making Kiyoko and Suga pause. Something about seeing the words in front of them made the entire situation seem a lot more real. Kunimi was genuinely wanted for treason and they had no realistic way to protect him.

"So, plan?" Kiyoko murmured as the hustle and bustle of the city returned them to their senses. The door to the guardhouse opened and an older man in a full suit of armour strode out, quickly followed by a young recruit carrying several pieces of parchment. Kiyoko and Suga stood back a few paces, allowing the city guard to attend to the board, they couldn't help but eavesdrop as they waited.

"So what did this kid even _do_ , Commander?" The recruit asked. "And why not just kill him for treason?"

The older man shook his head. "Tis not that simple. Traitors need to be made examples of, but this kid was...well just a kid. Most sane people knew he couldn't possibly be guilty but the late King of house Oikawa had his reasons for suspecting him."

The sound of parchment being shuffled was followed by a hammer striking an iron nail.

"Kid was the chamber-servant to King Tooru when he was a prince, so the rumour is his majesty has a soft spot for him. Court chatter of course, but if I were this kid I'd be hoping to hell and back that King Tooru is feeling merciful when they catch 'im."

"They'll catch him?" The recruit sounded unsure like Kunimi realistically could survive even longer without getting caught.

"There's a huge bounty on his head, someone out there knows where he is and will give him up. But orders are he must come in alive and as close to unharmed as possible."

Suga and Kiyoko exchanged a glance. Something didn't quite add up.

"But why the huge bounty if...the king is going to pardon him?"

The Commander sighed heavily. "If you were being hunted for treason, would you really be in a hurry to return to the place you nearly lost your head in?"

"Well...er...no sir."

"Exactly. If, and that's a big if, King Tooru is really going to pardon him, he obviously needs to win over the court with his reasoning, and the one way to do that is have the kid come back and defend his actions."

"Oh, I think I get it...maybe..."

The commander sighed again, finishing up his task of putting up new notices before turning and reentering the guardhouse. Kiyoko and Suga wasted no time in seizing the new bounty baring Kunimi's sketch, not caring if it was technically a crime for doing so - they murdered people for a living, what's a stolen bounty poster got on them.

**WANTED - ALIVE AND UNHARMED**  
**For immediate court appearance with his Majesty King Tooru of House Oikawa**  
**Akira Kunimi, former palace servant and suspected criminal**  
**Generous reward for capture but must be alive and unharmed upon presenting to the palace**

"Well, that settles that then," Suga uttered. "I guess we're bringing Kunimi in and we'll see how this plays out."

He wasn’t sure how he was going to actually convince Kunimi that playing bait would be a good idea. But with a lack of other options available, unless the Kitamine party found some information and quickly, it was going to be their only solid shot at getting answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My computer issues still persist, but I'm not letting that stop me update - once again thank you all for your patience and understanding. I appreciate every single kudos and comment I get, especially during times like this :3


	9. Coming Clean

 

  
**VIII**

**Coming Clean**

 

They took another day to travel north towards the mine. Talk of what they might find dominated the trip, Tanaka and Bokuto mainly took control of the conversation. Daichi listened with vague interest, finding Yaku's disapproval amusing as the winding western road took them along the coast. Far out to sea, large sail ships loomed in the mist on their way to the ports that lined the coast, their ghostly outlines moving silently across the horizon. The waves closer inland were rough, white spray filling the air as they crashed against the rocks below, the thunderous roar drowning out most of the quiet conversation.

It was not a path for the faint-hearted.

"So if we do come across anyone, what's the plan?" Tanaka called over the sound of the ocean, the most unfazed by the narrow pathway between the cliff and the straight drop to the ocean.

Yaku scoffed. "Well, if they try to kill us, we beat them to the punch and kill them first."

"And if they don't?"

"I would hope that any hermits living there would think twice before lashing out at travellers." Bokuto called from near the back of the single-file convoy.

"Then you don't know this part of the kingdom very well." Yaku called back before returning to picking his way along the path. "The people here are somewhat feral." He muttered to himself, only Daichi overheard the remark.

Kenma was thankful he was seated in Yuki's saddle, he peered down at the churning water, jagged rocks poked out threateningly promising a painful experience should one fall. He shifted slightly in the saddle, willing himself not to think too much about the consequences of falling. Kuroo led Yuki cautiously, following Daichi's lead along the narrow trail. He had been quiet for most of the day, not quite silent and brooding but equally not joining in the wild speculation of the mine's contents. It hadn't escaped Kenma and Daichi's attention.

The wind howled against the cliffs, bringing a bitter chill to the party. Kenma was thankful for the extra layers of fur he had worn that day, whilst he didn't miss the walking aches and pains, sitting meant he felt a lot colder. Yaku pressed on, leading them along the coast until he sighted the twisting path abruptly splitting off and heading into the mountains. Once out of the gale and in the relatively still valley between two peaks, tensions seemed to ease. The path was in poor shape, rock slides and recent rainfall made it more treacherous than anticipated. They were halted many times to clear enough roadway for both mares to pick their way through, eating a lot into their daylight.

"How much further?" Daichi asked Yaku as Bokuto rolled away a large boulder with ease, the muscles built up over years of blacksmithing coming in handy.

"Just around the next bend allegedly. Remember, this place is supposed to be sealed up, so god knows how we're getting in."

"We need somewhere to camp for the night, even if it's just inside the opening, it'll do."

Yaku nodded, taking point once more to lead the party. True to the map, around the next large bend was a small trail that led straight to a boarded up cave entrance. Abandoned horse-drawn carts lay around it, wood rotting and in several pieces, rocks that had fallen from the mountains had landed in them, some punching clean through the weakened wood and splintering it in the process. The boards covering the mine entrance had been nailed in place, nine in total, small gaps provided peepholes inside the dark empty tunnel.

"Right." Bokuto announced, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulder. "Lemme handle this--"

"You will not." Yaku snapped.

"Huh? But I was just gonna pull the boards clean off." Bokuto scowled. "What else can we do?"

Yaku rummaged around in one of Amaya's saddlebags, pulling out the hammer they used to pound tent pegs into the ground. He also pulled out one of the dull knives used to sharpen sticks to create fires with and then returned to the boards.

"Tearing them clean off will mean they're impossible to put back, they're probably on the verge of splitting apart anyway." He explained as the party watched him dig the knife into the weather-worn plank near one of the rusted nails. "It'll also alert anyone inside to our presence,"

"So you're going to chisel your way in?" Tanaka asked.

"No. I'm going to ease the nails out of a few of these planks so they can be lifted enough for us to slip in Once we’re in, they’ll fall back into place."

"And therefore, if anyone comes snooping, they won't know we've been here?" Kuroo added. "Smart thinking."

Yaku shook his head. "No, it's not smart, it's survival. I'm sure you'd know all about that."

They watched as Yaku jammed the knife under the nail head, wood chippings coming loose as he grabbed the hammer and struck the handle of the knife. The rusted nail head shifted a little. He repositioned the knife and struck it again. The nail head began easing with each blow until it was loose enough to be pulled out by hand. Yaku repeated this process with each nail embedded in the right-hand-side of the bottom five boards. The nails still in place acted like hinges, giving the planks enough clearance to be lifted up and out of the way and enabling them to walk inside.

Both horses required coaxing into the dark tunnel, Kenma was quick to light a torch without the use of a flint and steel. The flames quickly caught on the cloth wrapped around the club, yellow light bouncing off the earthy walls. Once everyone was in, Yaku carefully let the boards drop into their original position and pocketed the nails himself. Anyone who happened to pass by would be none the wiser.

"Right," Daichi breathed, aware that the tunnel seemed a lot smaller now they were relying on Kenma's torch for light. Yaku dug into his pocket after putting the knife and hammer into Amaya's saddlebag, pulling out his runestone and rubbing his thumb over the engraving. White light shone from the stone, showing how narrow the tunnel really was; the horses could fit down it easily enough, but there was definitely a sense that the walls were closing in on them. The roof of the tunnel was being kept up by thick wooden beams, the archways spaced sporadically every few feet, sometimes barely inches from each other if needed. "I guess we just start walking and see where it takes us."

There was a small flaw in this plan.

"It appears...we may have overlooked something." Tanaka remarked as they walked along the twisting tunnel and came to a four-way junction.  
  
"Gee, I wonder what that could be." Yaku breathed as each tunnel seemed identical to each other; wooden beams were holding the stony ceiling up, cobwebs hung from the archways, old crates and barrels lay abandoned at various points, seemingly with no purpose in mind. Each tunnel seemed equally as narrow as its neighbour, none of them seemed eager to give up their destinations.

"The fact that no-one knows how the mine is laid out?" Kenma suggested, dismounting from Yuki with the torch in hand.

"I mean--" Bokuto gestured to the air "surely it can't be that hard?"

Daichi had this sinking feeling in his gut that they may have just made a really, really dumb call by going into this mine. Kuroo took a few steps forward into the tunnel directly in front of them, glancing around a little as he did so.

"Okay, so I think we should just pick a path and see where it leads. Make a marking or something as we go so if it loops back around then we know we're not going crazy." He said. "We're gonna be walking blindly, but at least we can keep track of where we've been, and where we haven't."

"That's the smartest thing anyone's suggested so far." Yaku remarked.

"You're being rather...rude." Bokuto folded his arms across his chest. "All you've been doing this trip is complaining."

Yaku shook his head. "I've made it perfectly clear from the start that this entire trip is suicidal, this is just another branch of stupidity."

"Okay, let's not get into a--" Tanaka interjected before getting cut off by Daichi stepping between the two equally dangerous individuals.

"We can argue about the merits of this trip when we're not wasting air in a mine." He stated. "Morisuke, I get you're not happy about this but can you please try to keep the sass to a minimum until later? And can everyone else stop antagonising the one person who knows this area better than the rest of us?"

Kenma sighed. "Agreed. I don't like tunnels and neither do the horses."

Kuroo nodded, looking around for something to mark the tunnel they were about to proceed down. He settled for drawing a line in the dirt with the heel of his boot and drawing an 'x' over it, gesturing for everyone else to try and step over it so not to ruin the pattern. With Kenma's torch and Yaku's runestone lighting the tunnel, they began walking.

One of the small comforts of being in a group was that everytime someone thought they saw a shadow, heard a strange noise, or even felt something weird, there were at least five other people who could confirm or deny it actually happened. No-one said anything otherwise, each person on guard for an ambush or unwelcome encounter with something alive and angry.

They passed several tunnels that had collapsed, making it somewhat easier to decide on a direction to go in. Other times there was a game of rock-parchment-knife to decide which path to take. Tanaka volunteered to take Yaku’s runestone and scout out some tunnels, returning a few minutes later with old maps and letters bearing a familiar coloured seal.

“The Serpents used this mine?” Kuroo sounded just as confused as everyone else as he saw the wax imprint of a snake. “Huh, I guess that’s not too hard to believe…”

“Was it a base or what?” Bokuto asked.

Kuroo studied the letter, shrugging as he folded it back up. “They used it as a thoroughfare.” He explained, handing the folded up letter to Daichi. “So there’s definitely an exit somewhere.”

It seemed to satisfy the party and they continued walking, finding themselves going downhill for a long time through the twisty passages. Both Yuki and Amaya were reluctant to go down certain tunnels so they had to compromise and hope that they wouldn’t have to force the mares to go where the didn’t want. They quickly lost track of time as they walked further and further.

“Anyone got any idea how much further until the exit?” Tanaka asked as they paused to give the horses some water from their reserves.

“Nope. We’ve been going downhill for a while.” Kuroo replied. “Could be a few hours before we find our way out again.”

Daichi rubbed the back of his neck. They were deep inside the mountain, that was for sure. Yaku had kept quiet, shining his runestone down tunnels they passed to see if there was anything of interest down them. The day of travelling was starting to take its toll on them as they became increasingly more lost in the mine.

"Okay, so all we've seen so far is tunnels, right?" Bokuto was still in high spirits despite the situation.

"You are correct." Kenma nodded.

"Don't all mines have like, a giant pit or...like a place for workers to rest? Like a cave?"

"Some do, others are just winding corridors of...well rock." Yaku replied. "What are you thinking?"

Bokuto smiled. "Well, we find one and set up camp there?"

“Sounds like a less-than-terrible plan.” Daichi conceded. “Tanaka, can you scout out some of the tunnels we pass to see if they lead to any rest places?”

“Sure thing Daichi.” Tanaka nodded.

Once the horses were watered, they continued on their way. The air was cool but heavy, the walls felt like they were closing in on them as they continued walking. Both horses were tiring, the toll of the day's travelling causing them to be a little stubborn. Daichi and Kuroo were patient with them both, sending Bokuto and the others ahead and getting Yuki and Amaya to follow at their own pace.

Tanaka ventured into the twisting tunnels by himself, armed only with Yaku’s runestone, finding more letters left behind and occasional trinkets that he pocketed to be sold later. He also found several narrow tunnels that he knew for a fact the horses wouldn’t fit down, but he managed to unintentionally rejoin the party after looping back on himself.

No-one said anything about being hopelessly lost, simply following their gut instincts and walking down each new path presented to them. Their perseverance paid off as they came to the end of a long, straight tunnel that led to a small cavern. There were two paths branching off from it, one going uphill and the other further downhill. Neither were of much concern as the ground in the cave was flat and dry, a suitable place to stop and rest for a few hours. The bedrolls were unpacked, starting a fire would only cause trouble so they were limited to the light of Kenma's torch - on its third wrapping of cloth by now - and Yaku's runestone.

Yuki and Amaya settled quickly after being fed, neither moving from their spots as the rest of the party huddled together in a circle, Kenma's torch flames practically licking their faces as the chill of the air began to set in. The food rations they had were filling, their feet were sore and there was an unspoken tension in the air surrounding being lost in a network of mining tunnels.

"Well, isn't this peachy?" Kuroo remarked, exchanging a glance with Bokuto over the flame.

"If this is your idea of fun, I don't want to see your idea of hell." Yaku uttered.

"It's...character building." Tanaka stated. "Hey, how about we tell some stories of past adventures eh? It'll take our minds off everything."

Kenma cracked a smile as Bokuto clapped his hands together. "Yes. And I know just the story."

"Oh god." Daichi groaned. "Please don't tell me this is the--"

"This is the story of how we stole a ship and Daichi nearly pissed himself when we were confronted by the guard."

Kuroo snorted. "You mean the story of how we graduated from being petty thieves to being outlaws?"

"Yes!"

Yaku raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall this story..."

Bokuto grinned. "Right. So it was just after we met Akaashi, it was me, Kuroo and Daichi before then. Y'know, the big four, the OG guild." He pounded his chest with pride. "Anyway, we picked up Akaashi--no not like that, but I'm pretty sure Kuroo was eager to tap that ass--"

"Oh god." Kenma spluttered, trying to keep his laughter contained as Kuroo face-palmed.

"moving on, so we were just south of Kawamura, the seaport there was jacked full of shit we could steal, but Mr Daichi here was like ‘don't steal shit in plain sight’” Bokuto wagged his finger in a lecture-like manner.

"I'll have you know I was in favour of not stealing anything." Daichi interrupted, only getting waved off by Bokuto.

"Sure sure, anyway, we're walking by this village, the four of us, and we're trying to get Akaashi to tell us what the deal was with him, he was like...what...sixteen summers old? And he wasn't decked out in any armour or weapons, just himself and a supply pack so it was very odd."

"Right..." Yaku made a 'get on with it' gesture which Bokuto ignored.

"We're walking and talking and we see a little inn, small building, right on the coast next to some pretty sweet looking boats. Little schooners y'know? Big enough to be worth something but small enough to be a perfect getaway boat."

"Oh no." Yaku uttered.

"Oh yes" Bokuto grinned. "But Daichi was like ‘no we can't steal a boat what the hell’. So Kuroo and I decide we're staying in this inn anyway. It was getting dark and we were in dire need of some refreshments."

"You mean beer." Tanaka nudged the other.

"Of course. Beer, ale, whatever the barman had, we were drinking."

Kuroo smiled, remembering the day fondly as Bokuto continued.

"So we get hammered, like super hammered, Kuroo and I. Daichi was kinda trying to get us to stop but Akaashi was finding it amusing so we kept going, the barman was--"

"Let me finish this." Daichi sighed. "You'll make it sound more insane than it was..." Bokuto put up his hands in mock surrender as Daichi rubbed his forehead. "Okay, so yeah those two idiots got hammered, Akaashi had one or two drinks but nothing compared to the twelve they had between them."

"Naturally." Kuroo shrugged.

"So then, whilst I'm paying for their god damn tab, Akaashi nudges my arm and says; ‘by the way, they just stumbled out of the inn warbling about stealing the boat’. Really bluntly and without even sounding vaguely concerned!"

"Sounds like him." Yaku snorted.

"So I rush after them, Akaashi in tow and low and behold, these two morons have actually gotten in the boat, untied the boat from the jetty and are legitimately stealing a god damn boat."

"I think it was a miracle neither of you drowned." Kenma remarked, getting a playful nudge from Kuroo.

"Yeah, well Akaashi and I manage to get into the boat before they hoisted the sail. And the wind took care of the rest." Daichi said, waving dismissively. "They were drunk off their asses the entire time."

"So what happened?" Tanaka asked.

"Well, Akaashi grew up in a ship-building family. His father is a well-known captain of frigates, as are his cousins and that, so he naturally learnt how to pilot a ship." Kuroo explained. "So, he took control and sailed us around the western coast that night."

"Whilst you and Bokuto had a merry singsong." Daichi grumbled.

"That isn't even the best bit." Bokuto clapped his hands against his knees. "We rummaged around in the captain's quarters and found a huge battle axe with this massive diamond in the hilt!"

"And of course, we had to take it and sell it on...but there was a minor issue with that." Kuroo continued. "The thing was...well, unique."

"So, we landed in some coastal town a little west of Kōshi, lovely little place with a lovely lot of people...apart from their port guards who seemed very interested in us."

"Because you stank of booze." Daichi remarked, getting a laugh out of everyone, the walls echoing the laughter back to them. "He came up to us and asked who we were, where we sailed from and what our business was."

"We had it completely under control--" Kuroo started.

"You literally waved the axe about and asked where the nearest ‘idiot who'd buy it’ was!"

"Remember, this thing had a diamond in the hilt, Kuroo and I were drunk still, Akaashi looked barely a day over fifteen and Daichi wasn't good with confrontation of authority..." Bokuto listed off.

"...so what'd you do?" Tanaka asked, leaning closer to the flame of the torch. "Kill him? Barter? Bribe?"

Kuroo smirked, sitting back slightly and clearing his throat. "We," he paused. "we ran for it."

Tanaka and Yaku burst into a fit of laughter, Kenma kept his chuckles quieter but felt his cheeks ache a little nonetheless.

"You...you ran?" Tanaka asked between pauses for breath.

"Look, this guy was big" Bokuto tried to reason with the two laughing companions.

"You ran?" Yaku repeated.

"Literally tossed the axe in the guard's hand and ran, yep. Totally true." Daichi sighed. "And these two idiots claimed it was a job well done!"

Bokuto and Kuroo shrugged. "Well," Bokuto said, "we didn't get caught?"

There were a few more moments of laughter before they calmed down again. The torch flame dancing between them as silence fell. The steady breathing of the horses was the only other sound in the cave, the still air gave nothing away as they sat there together.

Tanaka clicked his teeth, looking between the group. "Say, when did we stop just...having fun?"

"Hm?" Bokuto raised an eyebrow.

"Well, like that story. You just wanted to have a good time right? There was none of this 'need to kill to live' thing going on..." Tanaka bit on his lip slightly as his eyes focused on the flame. "heck, I'm not even entirely sure why we're up here in the first place?"

"Here as in the north?" Yaku asked.

"Well, on the trail of the Blue Serpents. Like, I get they have a bone to pick with Kuroo but...why are we so intent on killing them? What happened to adventuring? To experiencing new things? Seeing new sights?"

Kuroo shifted his sitting position, hugging his knees tightly. Bokuto took note of the change, the sudden lack of light in his eyes and the new tense form.

"I mean...they want to kill the king." Bokuto shrugged. "Gotta do our duty."

"We're assassins, why do we care who sits on a throne?"

"It's not just that." Kuroo uttered. "It's more than that."

There was a small silence, Daichi looked between Bokuto and Kuroo as he tried to guess what was going to happen. The cave was unforgiving in its feeling of emptiness, making the silence more noticeable.

"What is it then?" Kenma asked, locking eyes with Kuroo as he already knew the answer. "Why are we here Kuroo?"

Kuroo swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing as he did so. He rubbed his jaw and sniffed loudly, gaze flickering around the group before staring at the torch.

"...we're here because I couldn't stand up for what I believed in when it mattered most." He uttered. "I couldn't do the right thing."

"What?" Yaku murmured. "What are you talking about?"

Kuroo met his gaze briefly. "Here's the thing Morisuke, I was with the Serpents. We all know that now, but what you don't know...is why I left, or how."

Bokuto shook his head. "Don't do this bro, this isn't--"

"This is the time." Kuroo cut in. "They need to know why the fuck the Serpents want me dead."

"Why then?" Tanaka asked, trying to keep the peace but also curious now.

Kuroo inhaled sharply, mumbling something to himself before relaxing his body and returning to sitting cross-legged, hands on his knees and back straight.

"My mother was a pickpocket. My father, a fisherman. They met in a tavern one day and hit it off, they were happy together, they settled down in a village not too far from here. Life was good." He bluntly stated, wanting to skip the unnecessary details. "I was born, money was tight but we lived comfortably. My father, I don't remember him much as he was away a lot fishing in the open waters, but when he was home he would teach me how to fish with a line, how to make fires, y'know standard survival tricks."

Kuroo paused, taking a moment to remember the day his peaceful life shattered. There was an aching in his chest as he willed himself not to think about the 'what ifs' and 'maybes'.

"My father's ship went missing." He clenched one hand into a fist. "He never came home. My mother, she was strong, such a strong woman. She did everything she could to provide for us both, she was desperate to keep us off the streets. But eventually, when I was around ten, she had to teach me how to pickpocket. It was all I could do to help but I proved to be a natural at it." He smirked slightly. "We got by with the food I stole from the market, the coin pouches I found dropped on the floor by the temples. Wasn't an honourable life but I was surviving."

The group listened without interrupting, Kenma reached out and placed his hand over Kuroo's, offering a small sense of comfort.

"By the time I was twelve I was desperate to help her however I could, and this is where the Serpents come into it. There was this kid around my age who ran with them, he basically got me in and promised they'd help me out. At first it was alright, just stealing random shit from markets and sometimes people. Getting a cut of the pay wasn't too bad, I also got friends who'd protect me from the guards and other gangs in the area. They taught me self-defence and all the tricks of the trade I know now."

"The catch?" Kenma prompted.

"Yeah, the catch. The catch was something like 'if you double cross us, we'll kill your family.' Pretty serious I know, but it was enough to keep us in line." Kuroo shrugged. "I figured I'd never need to double cross them y'know? They were...like a family to me."

"But..." Daichi murmured.

"As I climbed the ranks, I got more interesting jobs. Extortion, smuggling illegal goods, breaking and entering, occasionally mercenary work...nothing too extreme. But then there were these weird shipments, shipments in a port city south of here bound for Kitamine. Usually these shipments would be mining supplies, illegal and fine goods, but there was always this other shipment...always the same number."

"Shipment #444, right?" Bokuto offered.

"Yup. Shipment #444. They weren't given to just anyone, you had to be in the running to be a commander of sorts, to be proving your loyalty to the Blue Serpents." Kuroo nodded. "...my superior told me they were considering me for a commander role, but obviously we had to wait for this shipment."

There was a pause, Kuroo sighed heavily. "I wish I had never taken the offer." He uttered. "But yeah, I agreed and the orders were given. I was escorted to the port at midnight with another recruit around my age that I had grown kinda close to, it was the middle of the summer so it was cool, a gentle breeze was in the air...it was a nice night for such a disgusting thing to be happening."

There was a pause. Kuroo shook his head as the memories flashed in his mind, the memories that he had tried to bury all these years and that Akaashi had come perilously close to unearthing many times. He knew he didn’t have to hide it from Akaashi anymore, not since telling him, but he didn’t want his nightmares to return.

"Shipment #444, it was live cargo." He clenched his other hand into a fist. "When the cage was lowered onto the dock I just stared at them. Nine or ten of them, barely my age, some of them younger than me."

"People?" Yaku clarified, Kenma nodded.

"Teenagers." Kuroo stated. "I asked our superiors what the fuck was happening and they stated that most were bound for Kitamine to work the runestone veins, some to ‘private buyers’. He said that the ones sent to the mine would be able to dig out the runestones better because of their smaller hands.”

"What the hell?" Tanaka breathed. "Like, I can understand the weird logic but that basically slave labour!"

“Not to mention the private buyers…” Yaku scoffed “gods that’s just fucking sick.”

"I immediately felt sick." Kuroo went on. "I wanted to stop them there and then, to release the kids but I was being watched, I knew that my mother's life was at stake and that's what the Serpents used against me."

"You didn't..." Yaku uttered.

"I had to. I let them continue with the deal." Kuroo hung his head, his chest heaving. "I didn't want to, but I had to."

Bokuto put a hand on Yaku's shoulder. "Give him a few, there's more to this."

Kuroo's breathing was ragged, Kenma's hand on top of his didn't leave, Daichi reached out and put a hand on Kuroo's shoulder, trying to comfort him in the moment when he was clearly wrestling with his inner demons.

"I...I went to our leader, he was an ex-commander in the royal military, no-nonsense kinda guy who was thrown out for flat out murdering some rich noble who rubbed him the wrong way. I told him I didn't want anything to do with the people smuggling, that it was wrong." Kuroo continued. "He told me to sit down and shut up, that they'd kill my mother if I stepped out of line again."

"Fucking assholes." Tanaka breathed.

"So I kept my mouth shut. I was fourteen. I was scared, scared for myself but also for my mother. I asked my friend what he thought, he said he thought it was wrong...but then he said that 'then again, most of what we do is considered wrong to most people' as if it was just another petty crime."

The hand on top of Kuroo’s squeezed his hand slightly. Kuroo sighed heavily as he continued.

"More of these shipments came in, and I was sent to all of them like it was some sick joke to make me process these teenagers. I didn't let it get to me. I hated myself so much for it. I still do."

"I don't blame you." Daichi's hand rubbed Kuroo's back, Kuroo shook his head, willing himself not to breakdown now.

"One night something went wrong. The cage broke, some of them escaped." He croaked, swallowing back the sobs. "I...I froze, unsure what to do. My superiors...set the dogs on them."

"Oh god." Yaku rubbed his face. "How many did they get?"

Kuroo shook his head again, wiping at his misty eyes. "Four. A fifth was recaptured."

"Shit..."

"After that, I couldn't take it. I had their blood on my hands because I didn't stop them before the dogs were released...so I decided to stop it all once and for all. I broke into the leader's quarters where all the shipping manifestos were kept; the ship names, captains, locations of where...the slaves come from. All of it. I burnt it all. If they couldn’t track the ships and who they had to pay, it would at least stall the process for a while."

"Gutsy." Tanaka remarked.

"I got caught by my friend." Kuroo hung his head. "I begged him not to say anything but he punched me, nearly broke my nose, and then immediately ran off to find some of the others. I was only on the floor for like a minute but I heard the dogs getting released."

"They set the dogs on you?" Yaku asked, outright angry at the suggestion.

"Yep. I was a traitor now." Kuroo shrugged. "I ran for my life. I ran away from everything and everyone I knew. All I have to remember anything by is the ring I gave to Keiji, the ring that my father gave my mother."

"Your mother...did she--"

"She was murdered." Kuroo stated, voice void of emotion. “I had told her to leave as soon as she could, that things had gone to shit but I couldn’t keep in contact. From what I know, she made it to another town but…they found her about two years ago. They weren’t kind to her…I only found out because she told an innkeeper to send a crow if…yeah. So that’s where I was riding back from when I found Kenma’s village burning…and that’s why they want me dead. They proved a point by killing my mother sure, but I’m the one who double-crossed them.”

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Kuroo stood up abruptly and walked away from the flaming torch, rubbing his face and sighing heavily. Shadows danced around the cavern walls as the group shuffled a little and Daichi stood up.

"We'll get them." He stated, voice bouncing off the walls. "We'll pay them back tenfold. Not just for you, or your mother but for those kids they smuggled into Kitamine."

Kuroo sniffed loudly, finally letting the emotions overwhelm him as he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah we will."

"Fucking scumbags." Yaku hissed. "I knew the Serpents were no-good bastards, but this is something else entirely."

"Well we'll get them, we'll make them pay." Tanaka rallied, standing up and beating his chest with a fist. "No-one fucks with kids like that, kidnapping and enslaving them…Pft.”

"Glad to hear you aren't all hating me for it." Kuroo laughed weakly. "I...I've always been afraid to tell you, that you might think I agreed with it."

"Fuck no, you've always been so adamant that we've all done shit we're not proud of." Yaku replied. "Heck, I've killed Serpents because they threatened my family, I've killed nobles because the money was good. I'm the last person to judge on the merits of actions."

Daichi put up a hand to stop anyone else talking. Kuroo looked at him with teary eyes, clenching his hands into fists and then relaxing them.

"Just because you didn't immediately speak up, doesn't mean you didn't do the right thing in the end. You burning those manifestos most likely halted the operation and threw the entire thing into chaos. Sure they may have gotten it back since, but you don't know if your act of rebellion sparked another. For all we know, they've stopped, but that doesn't mean they're getting away with it." He stated. "We'll find them, and we'll make them pay."

"Assassins turned good guys, who'd have thought it." Bokuto remarked.

"The bad guys kill the badder guys." Tanaka added.

"Badder isn't a word." Kenma stated with a smile.

"Shut up, you know what I meant!"

There was a round of laughter as the tension in the air lifted. Kuroo rubbed his face again as Daichi approached him and pulled him into a bear hug. Daichi kept hold of him as Kuroo wrapped his arms around him, the guild leader felt Kuroo's heavy breathing against his shoulder as they stood in the middle of the cavern. As soon as Daichi released Kuroo, Bokuto pulled him into a tighter hug.

Once Kuroo was more composed, the group returned to huddling around the torch. There was a new sense of urgency to get to Kitamine, to finally put Kuroo's tormenting demons to rest and let him move on from his past, to demand justice for those who had been wronged by the Blue Serpents.

"So, how the hell are we gonna get out of this mine?" Bokuto asked.

"Look for a draft." Yaku said. "Where there's a draft, there's fresh air, where there's air, there's an opening."

“May I suggest we start trying to go uphill?” Kenma chipped in.

“Gee I would never have thought of that Kenma.” Bokuto remarked, gaining a laugh out of everyone.

Daichi nodded. "Okay, on that note, let's get some rest and be ready for whatever we have to face."

There was a murmur of agreement as they settled down to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Spotify's shuffle decided to play the Friends Theme song whilst I was editing and it was strangely appropriate.


	10. Shaken Confidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my replacement PC is finally up and running so hopefully no more delays! Thank-you for your patience and understanding during this time everyone, I've appreciated it :3

  
**IX**

**Shaken Confidence**

 

The clash of steel against steel resonated throughout the guild from the armoury. Akaashi watched on as the two other mages practiced their swordsmanship with actual steel as opposed to elements.

"Your stance is failing Hinata." He stated calmly. "Straighten your right arm as you bring the blade down."

Hinata nodded, taking on the instruction and getting a clean hit on Nishinoya's leather bindings. He had accosted Akaashi shortly after his sparring session with Kunimi and babbled out how he wanted to be taught fighting strategy before Kenma returned. Akaashi had found it a little startling how the mage was so adamant to learn about ‘normal’ sword fighting but welcomed the distraction whilst waiting for news. He had been spending most of his time teaching Hinata about blocking, dodging, how to hold his sword in a ‘smart’ manner that meant he could defend himself as well as attack his foe.

There was still a lot of work to be done, and Hinata would only remember so much, so Akaashi had enlisted Nishinoya’s help in a more practical sense. Thus, more sparring sessions were taking place.

"Tilt the blade." Akaashi was lost to his own thoughts most of the time during these sessions; thinking about the bounty situation, the fact half the guild was away, the vulnerability that it left them with. When he thought of Kuroo his chest ached. He was scared for him, and that wasn't a feeling he wasn't overly familiar with. He felt there was something wrong like Kuroo was in some kind of pain, but he couldn’t be sure what. It reminded him of the time the guild got attacked and he heard the other’s voice calling out in panic. He hoped he wouldn’t experience that again in a hurry.

The absence of a response to his crow was also bothering him, he knew the routes to Kitamine and how long they took to navigate. They should've replied by now.

"You okay?" Moniwa's voice startled Akaashi at first, he blinked as he came back to to the present moment and smiled at the scholar who had come to watch the mages.

"Yeah...yeah."

"Is it too quiet for your liking?"

Akaashi chuckled weakly. "Yeah, Bokuto is always so loud it's weird it being so quiet."

Moniwa nodded. "I can imagine, Suga mentioned that this is the first time the guild has split up in such a drastic way?"

"We split up when we went to Kiyoko's village, but yeah this is the most extreme way we've split...there's no guarantee they'll all come back in one piece."

"I'm sure they will. I've seen the way Kuroo and Tanaka fight, Daichi is a bit of a dark horse, Bokuto is downright frightening and Yaku has the most kills in the guild right?"

"Kenma is just as lethal," Akaashi smirked, "you just don't realise it until it's too late."

"...noted." Moniwa laughed nervously. "Either way, I'm sure they'll all be fine. It's the Serpents who should be scared."

Nishinoya let out a loud whoop as he disarmed Hinata, his joy was short lived as Hinata immediately summoned an ice hatchet and swung for him.

"Hey, no fair" Nishinoya objected, "we said only normal weapons, not magical ones!"

"Yeah, because in a real fight I'll be allowed to pick up my sword." Hinata argued back.

Akaashi shook his head as he chuckled, at least Hinata remembered something in regards to being disarmed. "Yeah, I can imagine the Serpents having a great time with our mages."

"I wouldn't wanna be on the receiving end of either of them." Moniwa murmured, turning to leave. "Or anyone else in this place, you're all terrifying."

Akaashi snorted, that was one thing they had going for them he guessed. Watching Hinata scamper around the armoury as Nishinoya gave him very few loopholes, Akaashi had to admit that the younger mage was determined for sure. The wounds from Kunimi’s tough love hadn’t quite healed yet, rather more wounds had joined them. They were the marks of a mage hell-bent on becoming a better all-around warrior.

“Remember what I told you about parrying,” Akaashi called as he watched Hinata duck several times to avoid being struck in the head with the blade. “You have a weapon, use it.”

With a nod, Hinata brought up the hatchet to meet Nishinoya’s sword. Steel hitting solid ice made a dull thud as the metal bit into the hatchet. With a flick of the wrist, Hinata twisted the blade from Nishinoya’s grasp and sent it across the room with a clatter.

“Nice one!” Nishinoya praised as he put his hands up in surrender. “You’re getting this disarming quickly.”

Akaashi smiled and nodded as Hinata let out a whoop and high-fived Nishinoya. He dared to think that maybe by the time the Kitamine party returned, Hinata could give Kuroo a run for his money, or at the very least, impress the guild leaders with his new skills.

 

* * *

 

As soon as they woke, they continued trying to find their way out of the mine. No-one had any idea what time it was, how long they had been underground or even where they were. There was a small glimmer of hope though, as Yaku and Kuroo worked to try and find a tunnel that looked like it was a promising way out, they heard the sound of running water.

"Are there any rivers in these parts?" Kuroo asked Yaku as the entire party stopped to listen.

"Not that I'm aware of...but if we're far enough under the surface it could be an underground one?"

"Should we follow the sound?" Tanaka asked. "Surely it comes out somewhere?"

"Can't hurt I guess, at least it's something to head towards rather than bumbling around like idiots." Yaku shrugged.

Following Yaku's lead, they walked along what felt like miles of tunnel. The lit torch danced, casting shadows on the rocky walls and giving them a small amount of heat in the otherwise cool tunnels. Every so often they would pause to see if there was a draft affecting the flame and see if they could hear the water louder than before or not.

"So, something's been bugging me about this mine." Bokuto remarked after a while of travelling in silence.

"What?" Tanaka replied.

"There are no tracks for mine carts?"

Kuroo and Yaku exchanged a glance. "That's because they didn't use them." Yaku told them. "They got horses and cattle to pull the carts. They didn't see the point in wasting materials on tracks when an animal could pull a cart freestyle."

"And they stripped this place clean, I've not seen a single runestone vein or anything left behind."

"Kitamine is a desperate town." Yaku snorted. "You'll see what I mean when we get there."

Kuroo had taken the lead down the tunnel with Kenma carrying the torch, Yaku's runestone was the only other light that they had. The sound of running water had gotten louder but didn't seem to be any closer than before. The torch danced a little more frantically as they paused to let the others catch up; a slight breeze was rushing through the tunnel at them.

"Feel it?" Kuroo asked Kenma.

"A little." He replied. "Maybe an opening? Or just a large cavern."

Despite their fatigue, they pressed on. The walls began to widen a little as they started a small incline uphill. Kenma gave the torch to Kuroo, summoning a small ball of fire in his hand as a last-ditch effort to give them more light. The breeze was stronger, fresher and cooler as they kept walking. No-one dared to say anything as they continued, all silently hoping that it was the much-desired exit. More archways appeared, thicker beams and closer to each other than before, an indication that they were holding up a lot of weight.

"Is that...daylight?" Kuroo asked Kenma narrowed his eyes as he gazed up the tunnel that still continued uphill. The faint glow of white light could easily be a trick of the eyes but he dared to hope.

"I think so?"

A renewed sense of urgency came over them as the distant white glow became easier to see. The torch's flame flickering wildly as they picked up the pace. Walls seemed to open up quickly, archways widening to accommodate the roof. The tunnel took an abrupt right turn, white light spilling into the tunnel along with the thunderous roar of falling water.

Kenma blinked rapidly as the bright light assaulted his eyes, water spray hit his face with a welcome freshness. As he glanced around the outside world he noted that the thunderous roar of cascading water was, in fact, a large waterfall barely a few feet from the ledge he was stood on. The trail led away from the mine entrance and down a slope, wrapping around a large pool at the bottom of the cliff. The spray was cold, but almost comforting after being in a narrow, still tunnel network for at least a day.

The party wasted no time in resting next to the large pool. The din of the waterfall made it hard to talk, but it was agreed that they'd make camp despite it being daylight and start a large fire to cook and eat some proper food. Everyone was relieved to be out of the mine, however, they weren't entirely sure where they were now. The area surrounding the pool was thick with trees and bushes with no obvious path in sight, the only possible hint came in the form of a small stream leading away from the pool and into the forest, but no-one was in a hurry to follow it.

"I think," Bokuto stated loudly "we should take a dip in the water, wash off the dirt and dust from the mine."

"Count me in!" Tanaka shouted, tossing his sword down without hesitation and starting to strip.

Kenma rolled his eyes as Bokuto practically sprinted for the water and jumped in, Kuroo laughed but he too decided a small swim would be a good use of time. Yaku shook his head when he was asked, determined to watch the meat sizzling over the open flame instead. Daichi simply removed his boots and sat on the pool edge with his feet in the cold water, enjoying the moment of peace after so much uncertainty. Yuki and Amaya weren't shy about stepping into the pool either, once Kenma removed their packs, blankets, saddles and reins, both mares stepped into the water and seemed to relish the cool water on their tired legs.

The sun was high in the sky but it did little to warm them, the mountain breeze was evident even in this small alcove. Kenma was quick to settle on the grass next to the fire that Yaku had built up, a pot of water already hanging over the flames boiling so they could drink something warm. The two didn't say anything, between the shouting of their overactive brothers and the roaring water, there wasn't much opportunity to speak anyway.

However, that didn't stop them exchanging glances at whatever lunacy they overheard.

After a while, Daichi joined them. He pulled out the map and started trying to work out where they were based on their surroundings. There were at least three mountains within sight - including the one they were on - and a sizable pool that could show up on the map if it was known about. He poured over it as Kenma rummaged around in his bag and pulled out some herbs to put in the boiling water. Yaku didn't bother asking, knowing that whatever they were, they were probably going to do them some good once the rest of the stew was prepared.

"Which way is the sun heading?" Daichi asked abruptly.

"Towards the top of the waterfall, so I'm guessing that the stream heads east as it heads away from the mountain." Kenma replied, picking up his small cup of hot water and taking a drink.

"Which means we're most likely south of Kitamine." Daichi hummed, stroking his chin that was sporting some light stubble. "Assuming this is the mountain we're on...we go east and then north to cut through here..."

"Or we just follow the stream." Yaku remarked. "Kitamine has a stream that springs from the mountain behind it. So if we follow this one, chances are they'll meet up or we'll find a road along the way."

"Good point." Daichi sighed, folding up the map and stuffing it back inside one of the packs. "Gods I hope they're not waiting on us to send a crow back to the guild..."

"Why?" Yaku carefully dropped several pieces of roasted meat into the stew to join the herbs.

"Well, they'll think we're dead or something."

"Pah, you worry too much." Yaku scoffed. "We'll send one when we arrive, we took an unexpected detour that's all."

Kenma lay down on the grass, folding his hands under his head as he stared up at the canopy of trees. The leaves rustled slightly, most of them still on the trees despite the cold season approaching, the fresh mountain air made the branches sway a little. He let his eyes slip shut, the exhaustion catching up with him a little faster than he anticipated. When he felt the gentle hand on his shoulder shaking him awake, the daylight was fading fast, red streaks in the sky the remains of a sunset he missed. The firelight was illuminating the leaves in the trees above him, they also illuminated Kuroo's soft smile.

"Wakey wakey, we have stew to eat." He remarked.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep..." Kenma grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"It's okay, just make sure you eat before you fall asleep again." Kuroo ruffled his hair. The group was sat around the fire, not as huddled together as the previous night but enough for everyone to keep warm. Both horses were out of the pool and grazing along the shoreline, almost like silent guardians as they remained quietly on the fringe of the group.

"I'll take first watch." Yaku declared as they finished eating, stifling a yawn.

"Hell no, you need rest." Bokuto replied. "I'll take it."

Yaku scowled slightly but shrugged. He wasn't going to say no to getting sleep. They spent a while enjoying the fresh air and the warmth of the fire, Kuroo and Tanaka took to unpacking and repacking all the supplies to shake some of the dirt and dust from them. Water bags were refilled from the waterfall for the next part of their journey, the horses were both given a good brush as they continued grazing, Yaku settled down in his bedroll earlier than the others, falling asleep quickly without fuss.

The never-ending cascade of water provided a natural sound to fall asleep to, not much unlike rowdy nights in the tavern or the heavy rain on the roof of the guild. However there was something more to it as the quiet chatter between brothers faded into snores and heavy breathing. Bokuto, the one who was infamous for being the loud-mouth of the group, found moments like these the most peaceful. He sat at the edge of the pool, the firelight giving him enough to see but he still had Yaku's runestone should it die unexpectedly, simply thinking things over.

There was really only one thing on his mind, and that was what they were pursuing in Kitamine. He had no doubt in his mind that Kuroo would want to be merciless when he got there, and he was prepared to stand by his brother-in-arms regardless of what happened. But he was also concerned for Kuroo. He knew that none of this could be easy for Kuroo; walking back to the people who not only hurt him but also slaughtered his mother in cold blood.

It was the determination in the other that Bokuto was wary of, what would happen when they were dead? What if they didn't get them all? What if the one responsible slipped through the net?

He didn't usually like to think of all the what ifs and maybes, he was more of a 'deal with the problem in front of him and nothing else' kind of person. However, a distinct lack of Akaashi in their company prompted him to think of these things. He almost owed it to Akaashi as a friend to bring Kuroo back in one piece and as close to the original Kuroo as possible.

There was something not quite right though. He couldn't explain what it was, but something about this seemed too...easy. A group like the Blue Serpents surely wouldn't be so open about where they were based. The fact that it was common knowledge they operated out of Kitamine felt like a trap to him, like they wanted trouble to come to them from not only rival mercenaries but the crown as well. Why hadn't House Oikawa eradicated them yet? Why were they such a problem to the northern region?

Bokuto leaned forward and splashed the cold water on his face, slapping his cheeks to get him out of the spiralling thought pattern. It would do no-one any good for him to get lost in his thoughts like that. He sat up straight again and stared up at the sky instead, the stars flickering like candles. Being on watch was a chance to appreciate the sights and sounds he didn't get to hear inside the guild; the wind in the trees, running water, the various calls from the wildlife around him. Sometimes he missed his home, the bustling port city of Kōshi, but in moments like this he was glad to have travelled. He was glad to call the guild his second family and come hell or high water he'd stick by them.

 

* * *

 

Although they had found the bounty poster they needed, Suga and Kiyoko decided to stay a while longer in Tanishiti to see if they could dig up any more information. It was strange to be almost alone in the city as opposed to in a large group, they only had each other to rely on if they got into hot water, but likewise, they only had each other to look out for. Anytime they were asked about their business in the city, the story was that they were mercenaries taking a break from the open road, often trading in a story or two about the more nefarious people they had dealt with in the not too distant past. Many gave them a wide berth though as they walked the streets, Kiyoko's obvious show of power gaining raised eyebrows and hushed whispers from doorways and side streets.

"I wonder how different it would be if I was actually the king's guard as was intended?" She murmured to Suga who appeared unfazed by the crowd's willingness to part for them.

"Well, you would probably be stuck in the castle all day and not able to travel except to murder in the name of the king...so quite different."

She shook her head as she giggled. "In any case, we should get off the streets, we may not be as infamous as Yaku but I'm sure word does travel quickly."

"How so?" Suga didn't quite follow what Kiyoko was referring to as she gestured towards the closest tavern. It was smaller than the one in the main plaza, not as well kept either judging by the peeling paint and missing roof tiles. Frosted windows obscured their view inside, but the presence of a stocky male at the large wooden door gave them the impression this was a slightly risky establishment to dwell in. Above the door, a wooden sign bore the worn image of an iron lantern, inside the lantern was not a candle however, but a human skull.

"Inside, I'd rather not discuss this in the street." She murmured, stepping ahead of him to approach the guard.

"What business do you two whelps have 'ere?" He grumbled, looking more at Kiyoko's sheathed blade. "We have no interest in vigilantes arresting our patrons."

"We aren't vigilantes," Kiyoko replied. "Simply swords for hire who wish to relax without the stuck-up nobles around."

The guard glanced at Suga, a look of vague amusement in his eye. "A'ight, but you draw that blade and we're gonna have a problem. A problem I'll 'appily solve with my axe." He remarked, stepping aside and opening the door for them.

The inside of the tavern was dark, hanging lanterns gave off a dim glow, chains swung in the air as the door closed firmly behind them. Several older patrons glanced their way, disinterested until Kiyoko strode up to the bar with an air of confidence Suga knew came from her days as the lead guard of her village. The barman gave her a sceptical gaze, eyes darting up and down her armour before turning to Suga.

"Welcome to the Lethal Lantern, what'll you be drinking?"

Suga quirked an eyebrow as he leaned on the bar. "An ale for us both sir."

The barman laughed. "Can she handle ale?" He gestured to Kiyoko.

"She could probably drink you under the table." He replied. "I've watched it happen with my comrade enough times to know better than to antagonise her."

Kiyoko cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the barman. "So yes, two ales please sir." She reminded him with a smug smile.

The older man clicked his teeth, seeing sense in not pushing the banter any further. He poured the drinks and set them down, receiving several silver pieces in return. Suga and Kiyoko found a table near the back of the building, the frosted window not giving them much to look at but provided more light than the small candle on the table.

"So what did you mean by word travelling?" Suga asked in a quiet tone, aware that they were not exactly alone in the tavern. The other patrons seemed too wrapped up in either their drinks or the bard playing a fiddle to care about their conversation, but too many times had he thought to be in a safe place only to be proven wrong.

Kiyoko inhaled, leaning on her elbows as she thought. "Well, let me first ask you something."

"...okay." Suga didn't like how she was avoiding the question but played along anyway.

"Do you see yourself spending the rest of your days with the guild, as in if you don't get slaughtered on a job you'll live and die of old age within those walls?"

It was a heavy question, one Suga hadn't been presented with before. He let out a heavy sigh, taking a long drink from his tankard. "Uh, well" he wiped at his mouth "I guess? I mean, the guild is like a family to me but I do have my blood family in Kawamura..."

"You'd leave the guild to settle down?" Kiyoko asked.

"Possibly? It's not exactly a family-friendly environment. I can't see myself having kids if I stayed there."

Kiyoko's pensive gaze remained on him for a few moments before she looked away. A small frown on her face indicated it was not the answer she was hoping for.

"So it really is a brotherhood that could be broken." She uttered.

"No, well, stretched by necessity. I wouldn't turn my back on them entirely." Suga insisted, trying to work out what she was trying to really ask. "I'd stay as long as I could but--"

"But one day you would have to make the call to leave for 'a better life'?"

"No...no."

Kiyoko took a sip of her ale, returning her gaze to Suga's. "Thing is Sugawara, at least you have a family to return to." Kiyoko murmured, her tone softer and less assertive than before. "I have nothing."

Suga wanted to say she was wrong, that she could make a life for herself away from the guild. But he sensed that she wouldn't hear his reasoning.

"I abandoned my village, we killed my mentor and several men as we left. I have no ties here, no other family members, nothing at all." She continued. "The guild is the only thing I have, and I know that one day it won't be around."

"It'll be around." Suga reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. "I know it will be, sure we may have blood family in various places but the guild itself is a family worth so much more than that."

"How? Blood family is important--"

"Yes, but those were are related to by blood aren't always there for us." He said, a sadness in his tone as he briefly paused. "Our family, the one made up of outcasts and misfits of society, the one that kills to stay alive, the one that pulled together to help you regardless of all our other problems, that family is worth more to me than any blood family I have." He smiled. "And that's why, even if I moved out of the guild, I'd never leave our family."

Kiyoko held his gaze for a few moments, covering Suga's hand on hers with her other, gently moving them to cradle his hand. She smiled as she stared down at the table, blinking away the tears threatening to fall.

"You've all been so good to me." She breathed. "I'm sorry I doubted you Koushi."

He shook his head, gently pulling his hand away only to tilt her chin up to look at him again. "Don't worry, doubt is good in some ways, it causes us to stop and think about our current situation."

She smiled, wiping at her eyes before picking up her drink and holding it in the air between them "To family then."

Suga withdrew his hand, picked up his own drink and held it against hers. "To family, and the unbreakable bond that the guild has."

They gently knocked the tankards together and drank. The air between them feeling light and friendly once more as they returned to casual chatter about the guild. Both tankards were nearly empty when Suga brought up the question that had been avoided before.

Kiyoko smiled slightly. "Well, we killed a village elder. I'm pretty sure in that part of the realm it caused a stir. Even if the village was somewhat isolated, news would've spread of the massacre."

"And?" Suga pressed.

"We need to be careful." She warned quietly. "If anyone even suspects we are the ones responsible for it, it'll be the death of all of us."

"No witnesses were left, well unless you count--"

"The little girl Hinata spoke to could easily identify him. He's not exactly ordinary either."

Suga sighed, rubbing his face. "True. But again, we're not in that part of the realm, plus who's to say it wasn't a Serpent operation?"

Kiyoko nodded slowly. "All I will say is if we end up near there again, to watch who we disclose our identity as a guild to."

"Understood."

"Now, we should probably get back to them, leaving Akaashi in charge isn't ideal is it? As in, with Kuroo absent he may be emotionally compromised."

Suga shook his head. "He's better than that, I hope. And Moniwa is there anyway."

"Either way, I don't want to be here at dusk. Big cities unnerve me at night, too many chances to be jumped."

Suga understood that feeling all too well. "Right, we'll get Raimei and head back then."

They finished their drinks, returning the empty tankards to the bar before leaving. The hustle and bustle of the streets was almost a surprise after the quiet tavern ambiance. As they walked back to where Raimei was being kept, the clatter of horse hooves caught their attention; several large horses with riders wearing the King's colours trotted past them; the House flag paraded high and proud. One horse split off from the group, swinging around to oversee the unit riding towards the palace, the rider's armour shone brightly in the sunlight as he removed his helmet, his head completely shaven save for a strip of bright blond hair running down the middle of his head. He frowned as he watched the horses, barking at the riders towards the back to keep pace with the others.

"You're lucky you were faster at getting to Kitamine than coming back or else I'd be having you flogged soldier!" He shouted over the sound of hooves against cobblestone.

"Aye Captain!" The soldier replied, spurring his horse to a canter.

"Don't 'aye Captain' me, get a move on. I need to talk to his majesty personally and I will not be made late because of you."

They watched as the unit moved down the street and through the palace gates in the distance. One thing immediately came to both their minds after overhearing the exchange.

"...if they've been to Kitamine, what does that mean?" Kiyoko asked Suga as they led Raimei out of the stall. A stable boy overheard them and interrupted Suga's response.

"King Tooru sent them to drive out the Blue Serpents. He wasn't happy about the Lord's running of the place so he sorted it out himself. Judging by numbers, I'd say the King's unit suffered no fatalities. They made impressive time as well, only taking three days to get there and back."

Kiyoko’s eyes widened, the others had left for Kitamine only a day before the unit had. It wasn’t entirely doubtful that the two groups could’ve come into contact at some point. It certainly would explain the lack of a return message.

"Huh, okay, thanks kid." Suga replied, pressing a single gold piece into his hand. "For your trouble."

They wasted no time in mounting Raimei, a sickening feeling in both their stomachs at what this new information implied. They needed to get back to the guild, and quickly.


	11. Divisive Reactions

  
**X**

**Divisive Reactions**

 

Yamamoto strode through the courtyard, armour rattling as he walked between the horses being unsaddled and dismounted. He paused at the door to the palace and waited for the young mage to catch up to him. The hooded boy joined him as they walked into the large building, footsteps echoing off the tall walls and vaulted ceiling of the long hallway. Paintings lined the walls, past kings and queens, lords and ladies, valiant knights in battle and knowledgeable scholars in libraries. Each watched over them as they walked in silence towards the ornate doors that led to the throne room.

"Captain Yamamoto, Sir Shirabu." The guard at the door nodded in greeting. "The king is waiting for your report."

"Aye, we're ready." Yamamoto replied.

The guard nodded and brought his staff down on the floor three times, the doors opening slightly by the third knock. Yamamoto straightened his stance as they waited for the doors to fully open. Large windows allowed natural light to pour in from the roof, candlesticks lining the aisle to the throne further illuminated the room. They could see the young king sat on his throne, hands clasped in front of his face, golden circlet resting on brunet hair, light blue cape swept over one shoulder, the end shifting as he adjusted his posture.

"Presenting, Captain Taketora Yamamoto and Sir Kenjirou Shirabu " The guard announced to the room.

Yamamoto took the cue to start walking, Shirabu falling a step behind him. As they reached the steps leading up to the throne, they bowed down onto one knee, placing their fists gently over their heart before hanging their heads.

"Your majesty, our mission in Kitamine was a success." Yamamoto stated, eyes fixed on the floor.

"At ease captain." Tooru stated, glancing at Iwaizumi who was stood beside his throne. "You too Shirabu, no need to kneel, either of you."

The mage cleared his throat as he stood, bringing his hood down to look more clearly at the king. "We found some peculiar things in Kitamine."

"Go on." Tooru replied, meeting the serious gaze of the other.

"We have reason to believe that they originate from the northern kingdom." Shirabu continued. "They have letters from the so-called 'war chief' ordering them to carry out raids in our northern cities."

"Lovely." Tooru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And what did you two do about this?"

Yamamoto clicked his teeth, shifting his weight from one foot to another. "When we showed up, several Serpent scouts were seen scurrying to various points in the city. As per your orders, we didn't engage them and simply did a canvas of the area. We did, however, catch one unaware in the tavern who told us a lot about how the northern kingdom is extending land to our border."

"Anything else? Like why they're in Kitamine?"

The two exchanged a glance. "We are unsure, we didn't want to raid their hideout due to your orders to try not to cause a scene." Yamamoto explained. "The tavern whelp said that Lord Takamatsu turned a blind eye to the gambling and fraternising with guards so long as the citizens of the town were left alone by them. So the Serpents took to targeting visiting citizens instead—”

Tooru stood up, cape falling from his shoulder as his previously relaxed demeanour shifted. "What did you say?"

Shirabu barely batted an eyelid as he spoke."He said Takamatsu sometimes would let them know if another lord or lady was visiting so they could take advantage of the visiting party they'd bring. Basically, Lord Takamatsu is undermining everyone who he's supposed to support."

Tooru turned to Iwaizumi. "Arrest him immediately on the count of treason."

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow but nodded, pacing out of the room towards the council chambers.

"I suppose you have some written confirmation of this." Tooru asked the two still stood in front of him.

Yamamoto nodded as Shirabu produced a letter, the wax seal of the Lord's house acting as the signature on the tip-off to a recent visit from Lady Suzuki. As Tooru read the parchment, he scowled.

"Bring Lady Suzuki to me please, I wish to ask her if anything of value was reported missing after her visit."

"Here or--"

"My chambers." Tooru answered immediately. "And tell Iwaizumi to meet me up there as soon as possible."

Yamamoto bowed and set off in pursuit of Iwaizumi, Shirabu was dismissed with a wave and a comment of praise for his work. Tooru rubbed his forehead as he excused himself to his chambers, this new headache was not what he imagined from sending men to Kitamine.

He paced the room with the letter in hand, the writing was sloppy like Lord Takamatsu's, the wax seal was just a formality that proved it so. The door opened, the sound of heeled boots on the wooden floor stirred him from his thoughts. He turned and nodded in greeting to the tall woman dressed in long blue robes, short black hair pinned back from her eyes with matching ornate clips. She smiled and curtsied, the tight fitting nature of her robes hampering the gesture a little but they made up for it in making her look attractive.

"You summoned me your majesty?" She said, voice calm like her expression.

"Yes, well it has come to my attention that there have been some foul deeds occurring in the council." He held the letter up but didn't disclose its contents yet. "I wish to ask you about your recent trip to Kitamine."

"As you wish," She nodded. Tooru had to admit she was easy on the eyes, her general attitude towards the kingdom was one he could get behind too; a strong military to maintain order but not allowing it to be their only asset. She never really questioned him, even when he favoured the less militarily approaches to things. "what do you desire to know your majesty?"

Tooru rubbed his jaw, trying to figure out how to ask the questions without giving the crime away. "When you attended the town, how many accompanied you?"

"A low ranking commander of Tanishiti's city guard, a three seasoned soldiers and a few recruits. Then there were my two chambermaids, personal scribe and loyal mercenary."

"Right, and did anyone report anything going missing? Anything at all?"

Lady Suzuki thought for a moment. "Nothing comes to mind, no."

"Okay, when you were there, how were you received by the people? Not the guards necessarily but the citizens?"

Another pause for thought. "They were friendly, offered many times to show me the sights of Kitamine, some more enthusiastic than others." She replied. "There were a few who thought they had a chance at bedding me, but I have much higher aspirations."

"...quite." Tooru got an uneasy feeling as her eyes travelled up and down his body. "So nothing overly strange, aggressive or concerning?"

"None."

"That'll do then, thanks for your time milady."

"You can have as much of my time as you wish your majesty." She remarked, stepping forward a little. "You must get lonely, being here all by yourself."

Tooru was too wrapped up in his thoughts to really think about what she was trying to get at. "Hm, somewhat. I wish my mother hadn't gone to see my dearest sister, I could use her guidance right now."

Footsteps brought him out of his thoughts, the faint smell of lilac spooked him a little as a gentle hand came up to cup his cheek. He stared wide-eyed at her, a smile too sweet considering the situation greeted him.

"I'm sure there are those who can offer some in her place, ones who have experience in conquering foes with swiftness and grace." She murmured, breath light against his cheek.

The young king swallowed, Tooru was aware that he was sought after but this was still a shock to his system. He shook his head, wishing Iwaizumi would waltz through the door in the next few seconds. He fell back on the lessons he underwent when he was younger, lessons regarding how to talk to those who'd seek to take advantage of him when he reached the throne.

"I can conquer foes, milady." He replied, taking half a step back from her but still within her reach. "Better still, I have plans to conquer more than foes."

"Oh? And what do you have in mind, your majesty?"

Tooru hummed absentmindedly, clocking the sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway. "Maybe one or two hearts, I certainly have one in mind."

Lady Suzuki smiled, blinking slowly and pressed herself more against him. "Oh?"

"Yes, and he's about to walk through that door, so you may want to take a few steps back before he gets the wrong idea about you Lady Suzuki. I would hate to see him drag you to the gallows for trying to compromise your king."

Eyes widened as the chamber door opened briskly. Iwaizumi gave them a puzzled look as he entered, confused but willing to see what they had to say.

"Your majesty, Lord Takamatsu has been arrested and awaits your judgement." He reported, stilling and bowing in servitude. "Anything else I can assist you with?"

"Remain please Iwaizumi, unless Lady Suzuki wishes you to escort her back to the council chambers?" Tooru replied.

Lady Suzuki straightened herself and put on a false smile of confidence. "That shan't be necessary your majesty, but I thank-you for the offer." She curtsied and left quickly, shutting the door behind her as she did so.

Within a few moments Iwaizumi was by Tooru's side, hand coming up to cup his face. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. She didn't force anything did she?"

Tooru shook his head. "Tis not your fault Iwa," he smiled "and she tried to charm me with talk about how lonely I must be here..."

There was a pause before Iwaizumi let his hand fall. "Well, in any case, Lord Takamatsu awaits judgement."

Tooru sighed heavily. "Well, I intend to execute him."

"What?"

"Treason Hajime, he spat in the face of my family by helping the enemy gain a foothold here." Tooru stated, frown evident on his face as be began pacing the room. "I need to make an example of him. I need to remind everyone that I am king and any attempt to undermine me will only result in the death of those involved."

Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you sure Tooru? Death is a tough judgement, and once it is done it'll set a precedent for the next who falls foul of you."

"I'm not executing all my prisoners, just the ones who...who threaten my family's reign."

"Uh-huh."

Tooru turned to fully face Iwaizumi, trying to gauge what he was trying to say with his expression. "Hajime if you have something to say, say it. As my friend, brother-in-arms and lover you said you'd call me out on bad calls."

The knight straightened his stance but kept his approach friendly. "Well, as your friend, I'm telling you that executing him without even talking to him about the accusation is unfair and I don't support it. I'm also saying that once you start executing people for indirectly threatening your family, you will start down the slope of ruthless killing like so many before you have fallen down. I do not want you going down that path at all Tooru."

Tooru raised an eyebrow. "So, what do you suggest?"

"I suggest you give him a chance to speak his side of the story." Iwaizumi stated. "At least hear his reasoning for his crime and seek to better the kingdom from hearing it. Killing him without knowing what drove him to do it will not solve the problem."

There was a pause. Tooru sighed heavily as he glanced back to the letter in his hand, the truth in Iwaizumi's words did little to comfort him but the truth wasn't always pleasant.

"Okay Hajime." He breathed. "I'll at least give him a chance to explain himself, but he still has to pay for his crime."

Iwaizumi nodded curtly. "Of course, but may I suggest stripping him of his titles and forcing him to work the fields with the peasants in another region?"

"You may suggest it, but once the rest of the council hears of it, they may demand blood."

"Ah politics. Such wonderful inner workings that I am happy to not deal with." Iwaizumi sighed, a small smile on his face. "As you wish Tooru, now, would you like me to get the chambermaids to run you a bath? You look very tense."

Tooru smiled, folding the letter up and setting it back on the writing desk. "Yes please, and I would appreciate you staying if you may."

"Of course." Iwaizumi reached out and took Tooru's hand, bringing it to his lips and placing a soft kiss against his knuckles before quickly stepping closer and planting a soft kiss on the king's lips. "I'll be right back then."

As Iwaizumi strode out of the room to corral the chambermaids to being running a hot bath, Tooru mulled over the last few minutes of his life. He had known Lady Suzuki was a charmer, she had a reputation for it amongst the lower standing lords, but he hadn’t quite anticipated that she’d be so obvious about trying to bed him. He was quickly learning that the art of ruling the court meant he had to be careful who he put his trust in, for most had hidden agendas, and some even had hidden alliances with each other.

Cleaning his court of traitors and doubters was going to be a long, messy process. One that he had to focus on before even beginning to tackle the bigger issues at play.

 

* * *

 

  
"They did _what_?" Akaashi asked, slamming his hand on the table and making Nishinoya startle. "They sent a unit to Kitamine?"

"Apparently so." Kiyoko nodded, the bounty poster was on the table in the main chamber, the guild had gathered around it and was listening to the information she and Suga had gathered. It was not a pleasant meeting. "We don't know what their purpose was but...well it's almost certainly complicated matters."

"Suppose they found out about the plot? Does that mean we have nothing to offer in trade for Kunimi's pardon?" Moniwa asked.

"Well, the stable boy indicated that the unit hadn't been in battle, none of them were particularly bloody, injured or otherwise. So it may be that they were simply sent to gather information." Suga replied, trying to prevent hysteria. "If that is the case, they may not have come head to head with the Serpents themselves..."

"And we still haven't had a crow from Kuroo and the others." Kindaichi added. "So are we assuming the unit got in and out without the others being caught?"

"I hope so." Nishinoya said. "I mean, Yaku's got several bounties on his head, Kuroo a fair few too."

"Bounties in small towns in the rural areas." Akaashi corrected. "Nothing that would hamper their trip north."

An eerie silence fell between them, only broken by the popping fire and drumming of fingertips against the table. Kunimi had remained silent on the matter of his bounty, the new wording giving him a glimmer of hope that he wouldn't be outright murdered as soon as he entered the palace but not much else.

"So what do we do?" Kindaichi asked, looking between Suga and Akaashi for answers. "We go to Tanishiti without the solid evidence or what?"

"We can't." Suga shook his head. "We don't know what exactly Tooru wants from Kunimi."

"But we can't sit here idly and hope that the assassination attempt doesn't go through." Kiyoko's chainmail rattled slightly as she threw her arms up in frustration. "Our king's life is at stake here!"

"And Kunimi's is too if we just parade him into the capital city of the realm without a backup plan!" Kindaichi replied, hand closing into a fist. "Or are you one of those types who's willing to do anything for some kid on the throne who barely gives a toss about us?"

"Stop it!" Hinata's voice rose above the rest, prompting them all to silence themselves and stare at him. He hadn't made a habit of talking much during meetings, knowing it was not his place to speak on guild-matters all the time. But he hated it when the guild fought amongst themselves, especially when he agreed with both sides. "Arguing won't get us anywhere, Daichi wouldn't want us to argue over this."

Suga smiled slightly, the pang of sorrow in his chest as he remembered that Daichi and Kuroo were both much more seasoned with hosting debates like this. "Hinata's right, the guild is strongest when we don't argue with each other."

"Well what do we do then?" Nishinoya uttered. "We have no proof of the plot, Kunimi is a wanted man, the other group have stonewalled us so far and the assassination is probably gonna happen soon. It's been months since we first heard about it." He listed off on his fingers.

Moniwa seemed to have a sudden thought. He rushed off to the library, leaving everyone else in confusion. Nishinoya huffed and looked over the wording of the bounty again, eyes skimming the blocky lettering and furrowing his eyebrows as he realised something.

"Wait, this says 'suspected criminal'." He remarked. "Does that mean Tooru doesn't know if you're guilty?"

Kunimi blinked slowly. "I find it hard to entertain the idea he had anything to do with my sentencing, he was fifteen...maybe sixteen summers old when it all kicked off. His father wouldn't have listened to anything he said."

"So that means he might think you're innocent?"

Kunimi shook his head dismissively. "I don't want to get my hopes up."

"He wants you unharmed. He wants to talk to you without you in chains and beaten around." Kindaichi reiterated. "That has to mean something Akira..."

Moniwa came back into the room cradling two runestones. He placed them on the table and looked up at Suga.

"Something Noya said reminded me we had these, the runestones Hinata and Kenma used during that job when we found out about the plot."

"Wait, they store the conversation?" Suga nodded to the two smooth pebbles, they had a lilac hue to them and small engravings of magical properties all over them.

"Unfortunately, no. But Nishinoya reminded me about their existence and in turn, made me remember something about that conversation we overheard."

"Oh?"

Moniwa smiled. "Hinata was sent to a Noble's house, but it wasn't that noble he was tracking remember? It was a guest of theirs. The guest was the one who revealed themselves to be working with House Kageyama."

"But...they're working with the Serpents too?" Hinata was getting confused.

"The woman you were tracking, a guest of the noble who's house you broke into." Moniwa explained. "She has contacts with the Serpents but is also influential in her own right. She spoke of House Kageyama like she knows them personally like she has contact with them."

"Didn't she also speak like she 'needed' an alliance with House Oikawa?" Suga asked.

Moniwa nodded. "But the thing is...I think she's a double agent. She was speaking to this person...guard or something like that, like she was in the Serpents but really she's, well something else."

"Guest of a noble? My money is on someone trying to get into the royal council." Kunimi uttered. "There were always people trying to sweet talk their way into the positions of power."

"Exactly. So what we have is someone trying to get the Serpents to distract Tooru enough for him to let his guard down closer to home. That'll be the person who's working for House Kageyama."

A stony silence fell over the group. Hinata picked up one of the stones, turning it over in his hand as he thought. "So, what does that mean?" He asked.

"It means there's a third person involved, that it's not just the Serpents working for House Kageyama. There's someone incredibly determined to upset the power balance in the realm." Kiyoko summarised. "Which means, we need to warn the king before he lets this person get too close."

"Great...except we still lack any concrete proof." Nishinoya was quick to remind them. "And I highly doubt they'll believe a group of shady individuals rocking up at the palace."

"No, but they may believe a former servant, and let's not forget that Kiyoko and the prince did meet a few times. He may remember her and be prepared to hear her out." Suga replied. "The key here is not to go in blind,"

"So what, you want the rest of us to wait outside?" Akaashi asked. "Or are you thinking more of a 'break into the palace and stage a mutiny' kind of insane plan?"

Suga smiled. "I have a vague plan, but more importantly," he turned to Kunimi. "are you willing to go along with this? You're the one with a bounty after all, and as we've all established many times now, we don't know what Tooru wants from you."

All eyes went to the sentry, he drummed his fingers on the table for a few moments as he thought. He had been running from his past for a while, aggressively covering up any links he had with the palace and the royals until recently. The only time he considered going back was in a moment of weakness when nothing else seemed to matter. He ached to put it all to rest, to live without the fear of being arrested for a crime he didn't commit.

"...sure." He murmured, meeting Suga's gaze. "I think I owe Tooru an explanation anyway."

"Okay. Then we pack up and leave for Tanishiti tomorrow." Suga stated. "As for when we get there, here's what I'm thinking…"


	12. A Kitamine Welcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My editing software keeps trying to tell me to change 'Kitamine' to 'Ketamine' and it's a weekly struggle. I did not think this would be an issue when I created this town name T_T
> 
>  
> 
> Also sorry for the 2 week wait, I'm on vacation and my internet has been patchy at best so I've only just been able to get into my draft folder! I'll be back home next week so all will return to normal finally...

 

**XI**

**A Kitamine Welcome**

 

"How much further Yaku?" Tanaka asked, batting away some low hanging branches. "We gotta be close by now."

The land they were trekking through wasn't the most forgiving; narrow mountain roads flanked by trees with low hanging branches slowed their progress. The bare branches scrapped against any exposed skin as they continued onwards. The party was tired, longing for a warm fire and a permanent roof over their heads.

"Across the next valley." Yaku replied. "The town sits at the base of one of the mountains in this area."

"Good, I want to sit down." Bokuto complained loudly.

Yaku rolled his eyes as he ignored the response. "Why does it feel like we're the parents of several unruly children?" He uttered to Daichi.

"Because they are children." Daichi remarked with a smile. "Lighten up a little."

Yaku shook his head. "I don't like where we're headed, sure it's my home, but it's not a nice place to be."

Daichi didn't press the matter, deep down he knew Yaku was speaking sense but for the sake of morale amongst the party, he had to smile and deflect the negative thoughts. They kept walking along the winding path, a sense that they were getting close kept everyone in high spirits. Well, nearly everyone.

Kuroo had gone back to being quiet, the town on the horizon only further making him reclusive. Bokuto tried to spur him to stay positive but with mixed results. The tall peaks loomed over them from all directions, closing in on them as they kept pressing north. The wide base of the mountain in front of them dwarfed the town; they could see large walls surrounding the cluster of buildings, a set of large wooden gates stood open to the limited number of visitors. Most of the buildings had two or three levels, the towers on the gatehouse being the only ones at first glance to exceed four floors in height.

"...well, there she is." Yaku uttered to Daichi. "Home. Kitamine. The place that was gutted and then the royal family left to rot."

They halted at the side of the road to check their supplies, just far enough out of the city to not be seen clearly by the guards but close enough to get a sense that this was definitely not a friendly place.

"So, plan?" Yaku asked Daichi and Kuroo.

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. "Well, we go in, find a tavern and work our way from there."

"...wait, your plan is to walk into a place basically owned by the guys who want to kill you and find the local tavern?" Tanaka asked.

Kuroo nodded.

"You're insane." Yaku shook his head.

"No, I just know only a handful of people will know what I look like, therefore I don't expect any recruits will know who I am by sight alone." Kuroo continued. "So I think it's a hell of a better plan than immediately starting a fight."

Daichi put up a hand to cease conversation as Kenma finished accounting for all their supplies. "Okay, well regardless of what happens, we need somewhere to sleep. So Morisuke, can you direct us to the tavern?"

"Fine, but there's something you should know about this place;" He sighed, gesturing for everyone to start moving again. "it's basically owned by the lord of the northern fringe, he sits on the king’s war council."

"So?" Bokuto said.

"He's a corrupt bastard, it’s a pretty well-known fact.”

"And?"

"If he knows anything about the assassination plot on the king, he'll be sure to snuff us out in order to keep it on track. So under no circumstances is anyone to mention it, not even when we think we're alone. In Kitamine, you're never really alone."

With the subtle warning fresh in their minds, they proceeded towards the gate. At first glance the town didn't seem any different to Kōshi in terms of a bustling market, a hive of activity in and around homes, horses pulled carts in from another gate, each cart laden with goods from the mines and other settlements. The only difference between the two towns was the people. Whereas in Kōshi the guild was largely ignored as they passed through the streets, in Kitamine they were eyed suspiciously by each vendor.

"Well, welcome reception this is..." Tanaka muttered to Kenma.

"They know we're from the south." Kenma muttered back. "They don't like outsiders."

Yaku didn't flinch as a throwing axe flew through the air across his path, the head of the weapon embedding itself in a door frame. He did, however, halt and stare at the culprit; a lean but smug looking male. He had all the trademarks of a Blue Serpent recruit but none of the attire to match, looking more like a petty thief than a gang member.

"What do you want?" He sneered at Yaku.

Daichi was going to reply when Yaku snorted and barked back in reply; "Sorry I thought someone worthwhile wanted my attention."

The axe-throwing male scowled and started approaching the group, spitting at the ground as he did so. The display was starting to draw attention from other residents, some smirking at the idea of the visitors getting their asses handed to them, others more cautious at what a confrontation could mean.

"Worthwhile? What do you know about that you runt?" He remarked, looking down at Yaku as his hand clenched into a fist. "You're worth nothing yourself."

"Watch yourself kid," Yaku warned. "you really don't want to get on my bad side."

"Or what? You'll get your bodyguards to beat me up?" The other sneered. "All this attitude but nothing to back it up."

Yaku sighed heavily, cracking his knuckles and giving off the impression that he was about to lunge at the other. "I don't need them to back me up, I can take care of myself."

"Ha! I'd love to see that."

There was a blur of motion as Yaku made a sweeping motion with his leg, toppling the aggressor before pulling one of his blades on him. The steel sang as it scraped against its sheath, winking in the daylight as it was flicked towards the thug and stabbed the dirt beside his face. Eyes widened as the sound came again with another dagger striking dirt on the other side. Yaku placed his knee against the chest of the thug, pinning him to the ground as he withdrew his final blade and held it poised above his skull.

"Third time's a charm." He remarked curtly, watching the smug grin vanish from the other’s face.

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

The previously macho male swallowed as the tip of Yaku's dagger didn't leave. He was trembling slightly as he put up his hands in surrender, eyes flickering between the blade and Yaku's hard gaze.

"I'm sorry! I didn't realise you were...were..."

"Were packing several daggers?" Yaku supplied helpfully. "Were a native of this shit-hole? Were used to this treatment from people down south as well as on my own god damn doorstep?"

The thug nodded. "Yes! Yes, I'm sorry sir I thought you were a southerner who--"

"I don't give a rats ass about what you thought I was." He uttered. "You fucking lowlife, I should cleanse the breeding population by taking you out of the running."

"He's not worth it." Kuroo spoke up, pacing over and nudging Yaku. "You know he's not."

The assassin seemed to consider carrying out the deed regardless before scoffing and nodding. "You're right, he's not. It would be a waste of my time. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Mhm." Kuroo nodded.

The party watched Yaku collect his daggers and release the thug, barking at him to get lost and not hassle him again. Bokuto and Tanaka were quick to tell him 'how badass' he looked, Yaku dismissed their comments and told everyone to keep close as he continued leading them through the town.

It didn't take long to reach the tavern, the largest building in the square and boasting a colourful coat of arms above the door. They entered and immediately found themselves in a large hall with long wooden tables. A raised platform acted as a stage for the current entertainment; a group of bards performing a jolly drinking tune, doors either side of the room lead away from the hall to what Yaku described as 'rooms for both sleeping and fucking'. An older woman came up to them, long white hair swept up in a messy bun and modestly dressed almost as if she knew most of the patrons only had two things on their mind when they entered her establishment.

"Welcome to the Crown Jewels Inn." She greeted with a polite smile. "Are ye lookin' to just drink or are ye staying with us for a while?"

"We'll be staying at least one night." Daichi replied.

"A'ight you are," she nodded. "Room together or separate?"

"Together."

She nodded again, casting her eyes around the group. "I'll get one of the serving boys to give ye a key, but for the while sit back, have a drink, are ye horses outside?"

"One of our boys is just seeing to them, yes." Yaku replied.

She took a hard look at Yaku. "You're from around here right?"

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

She laughed. "You're the one who told the brat in the square to go fuck himself aren't ye?"

Tanaka and Kuroo snickered as Yaku pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes...he was an ass."

"Oh no, I'm thanking you!" She exclaimed. "I'll tell the old man at the bar, that brat has been hassling everyone for weeks and you'll get a lotta' drinks off our patrons for it. No-one really wanted to try and put him in his place ye see..."

"Oh?" Daichi asked. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "Ask around, he was a pain in the ass - and not the good kind." She winked, making Tanaka lose it completely in a fit of laughter at Daichi's slightly wide eyes and sheepish smile when he caught on to her comment. "Anyway, I won't keep ye, rest up my dears and have a good night."

With that, she gestured to the hall in front of them, there were a good number of people drinking and watching the bards perform. Barely any of them had really taken notice of them yet. Tanaka bowed out to go and fetch Bokuto who they had left to settle both horses in the stable block connected to the tavern, leaving the rest to pick a table and start ordering drinks.

It was a comfortable enough atmosphere, the barman barely batted an eyelid at them as Daichi bought everyone a drink, the music was loud enough to mask most of their conversation from any eavesdroppers. Yaku seemed more relaxed now they were seated with drinks in hands, the scuffle in the street put largely out of his mind as they sat soaking up the vibe of the tavern. Kenma wrinkled his nose at the residual smell of spilt ale but didn't make a comment out loud as a boy not much taller than Hinata came over. He was on the scruffy side but had a big smile as he offered a large iron key to Yaku.

"Lan'lady told me to pass this to you." He grinned. "I 'eard you're the guy who told Kenisuke to quit hassling people in the street. Dodged his throwing axe and everything!"

Yaku rolled his eyes but nodded, making an effort to smile at the boy. "Yeah, that was me. I mean I kinda scared the shit out of him at the same time."

"You mean you nearly stabbed him three times." Tanaka corrected, leaning across the table to interrupt. "Yaku here is quite...good with his knives."

"Really?" The boy was all wide-eyed as Yaku glared at Tanaka from across the table.

"Yes." Yaku smiled, wanting to strangle Tanaka at the same time. "Can't have scum like that hassling my town folk."

"You're from ‘ere?"

"Sure am, left a few summers back though. Tell me, what's a guy like Kenisuke doing hassling people like he was? I knew this place was rough but I don't remember giving visitors that kind of reception when I was younger."

"Yaku the old man." Bokuto muttered to Kuroo who snorted as the boy scratched his head in thought.

"Uh, well the lan'lady won't appreciate me jabbering away about things like that." He shrugged. "You're better off asking the patrons who've 'ad a few ales."

"Fair enough, on your way then." Yaku nodded, waiting for the serving boy to get out of earshot before turning back to the party. "Something is off. I knew it was rough here but outright attacking someone in the street isn't how things should be in this town. Visitors give life to this place, attacking people will do fuck all to help us."

Kuroo raised his eyebrows. "Well, we know one thing has changed since you left Morisuke."

"Yes. But that alone shouldn't cause the entire town to go crazy on anyone entering through the gates."

Bokuto slammed his empty tankard on the table with a smile. "Why don't we do that thing where we ask around and see what happens?"

"Terrible idea." Kenma uttered before cracking a smile. "Which is why we're going to do it."

Daichi and Yaku didn't have a chance to object as the two slunk off to mingle with the patrons of the tavern. They made a beeline for the bar and promptly caught the barman's attention as well as two men who seemed to be miners by trade given the soot on their clothes and scrapes on any exposed skin. They regarded the duo with an air of suspicion until Bokuto sparked a conversation.

"Say, you two know your metals right?" He stated. "Can I pick your heads about something, I'm trying to make a new blade for a client down south who knows fuck all about it--"

Kenma tuned out of the conversation as the three of them quickly got into a deep discussion about suitable materials for blades. His attention was focused on the barman; an older man just like the landlady had stated, grey beard quivering as he chewed on something whilst cleaning the bar.

"We don't get many groups like yours." He said, voice gruff as he barely glanced at Kenma. "Folk around here travel alone or in pairs. So you arriving caused a bit of chatter, and that was before your friend nearly spilt blood in the street."

"We have that effect on places." Kenma replied. "Sounds like the kid deserved it."

"Oh I didn't say he didn't, I'm just saying, higher powers are probably aware of your presence." A small moment of silence passed as the barman stroked his beard. "Kenisuke was a street kid, parents died in a mine collapse when he was six. He was raised by family friends but like a lot of kids, fell by the wayside. He started running with gangs, nasty bunch they were. They all either got arrested or killed, some escaped and split apart."

"Then what?"

He shrugged. "Some of them left town, some stayed."

"...and Kenisuke?" Kenma pressed.

"He fell into trouble with a newer gang from up north, I forget what they called themselves. They never dared to come in here, the Lord owns this place and would easily order them out if they caused too much trouble."

"The Blue Serpents?"

The barman paused for a moment. "...yeah, yeah that's what they were called. Showed up about two winters back, weren't too much trouble at first but then they got gutsy and started picking fights with some of the other gangs. Until recently they were top dogs."

Kenma nodded. "I see, so Kenisuke has fallen out of favour?"

"He was left behind, excess baggage."

"Left behind?"

Across the hall at the table, Kuroo had been playing several games of cards with Tanaka, at first appearance neither seemed focused on the task at hand, but they were listening for snippets of conversation. The serving girls wandered back and forth, some dressed modestly, others more willing to flaunt their assets with pride and confidence. Tanaka had lost a few rounds due to his lack of attention on the game and more on the girl offering drinks to him and Kuroo.

When she stepped away, he folded his hand and leaned across to Kuroo. "So, you know what Yaku said about the wings being for sleeping and fucking?"

Kuroo peered through his fringe at Tanaka. "I'm not sleeping with any of them for information. I have no desire for that kinda bullshit."

Tanaka laughed. "I was suggesting that I go but you have my back in case a regular patron gets all defensive over it. You know how some guys are in places like this."

Kuroo snorted. "I do, I pretended to be one when Keiji and I went to that tavern to get information."

"Exactly." Tanaka smirked. "So you gonna watch my back?"

"Sure, not whilst you're fucking her though, that's not my thing. And you better pay her double for the fact you'll be interrogating her effectively."

Tanaka quickly drained his tankard and slammed it down with a satisfied sigh. Kuroo himself sighed quietly as they waited for the girl to return. Sure enough, within a few minutes she was back, her long blond hair spilt over her shoulders and framed her ample chest as she leaned down to offer a free refill. Tanaka raised an eyebrow as he met her gaze.

"You've spent a lot of time at our table milady." He remarked.

She smiled as she mirrored the raised eyebrow. "Well, it's not often we get a group of travellers as...well adorned as you." Her eyes lingered on Tanaka's exposed biceps before drawing back to his gaze. "we know you drink hard and fast."

"I can think of other things I'm hard and fast at."

Kuroo wanted to die as he was forced to listen to the exchange. Tanaka didn't have to try very hard to get her to agree to take him away, and for that Kuroo was thankful. Daichi pretended he hadn't heard the conversation as he watched the performing bards, he didn't particularly approve of Tanaka's method but it was better than leaving with nothing.

"I hate how that entire conversation seemed normal to her." Kuroo groaned under his breath, Daichi reached out and patted his shoulder. “And I hate that I potentially put teenagers in places worst than this to deal with shit like that.”

"Yeah, but that’s why we’re going to try and put it right.”

"I really hope we can truly do that Dai."

Daichi shrugged, turning his attention back to the bards. Yaku had been quiet for most of their time in the hall so far, idly tapping the table in time with the music. They found themselves getting lost in their own thoughts for a while until Kenma arrived back with a serving girl in tow offering them freshly made stew. They ate with light conversation, preferring to let the music fill the silence as Bokuto too arrived back at the table.

Only when most of the regular patrons decided to leave the hall, did Kenma decide to share his new information.

"The Serpents are gone."

"Come again?" Kuroo immediately asked.

"The barman said they abruptly left two days ago."

"Two days?" Daichi repeated slowly. "Why?"

Kenma shook his head. "Wouldn't say specifically, only that there was a flurry of activity near their usual dwellings before they left in the middle of the night."

"Fucking great...do we know where they were based?" Yaku scowled, shoving his empty bowl away in frustration.

Bokuto nodded. "Miners told me they have this little cave dwelling along the mining road, that's where they lead the mining operations from."

"Barman confirmed they have a house in the town somewhere too," Kenma added.

Yaku rubbed his face. "Two places to search without drawing suspicion to ourselves, great."

Daichi hummed, stirring the remnants of his stew around the bowl. The bards were playing a softer song now, light plucking of strings and gentle beats of the drum filtered through the air as the group sat in silence.

"Wait, where's Tanaka?" Bokuto asked.

"With a girl," Kuroo replied. "Getting information...apparently."

Bokuto snickered, shaking his head. "Right, we'll see."

"Well, I think we should debate our next move tomorrow. We're all exhausted and we have a roof over our heads for the first night in a while so let's appreciate it whilst we can." Kuroo remarked, standing up and stretching.

Yaku shook his head. "I'm gonna go take care of something," He looked to Daichi. "do you mind coming with?"

"Not at all." Daichi smiled.

The rest of the party watched as they left the tavern. The dusk had fallen, a brisk breeze whipped around the closely clustered buildings making both of them shiver. Daichi didn't question what business Yaku had, knowing that there was a lot that he didn't know about his life before the guild and this was probably just a formality he had to endure. That didn't mean he had to endure it alone.

They walked the narrow streets between the haphazardly built homes. Wooden beams kept the sloping upper levels from collapsing into the streets, entire buildings listing under the weight of the roofs. It was a little jarring to walk between them. Yaku said nothing until they rounded a corner that led to a house that seemed a little more stable than most.

"Look Daichi, I need to be honest with you." He uttered, halting on the dirt path. "I didn't actually get my father's blessing when I left. He resents me for it, but I received a letter recently and I'm worried about things."

"Understandable." Daichi nodded, trying to keep an open mind.

"You know I learnt to kill here in order to protect my family, mainly my younger sister. Gods I'd do anything to protect her." He sighed. "Apparently something's happened, I dunno what, but I get the feeling the letter was vague for a reason."

Daichi nodded again. "Well, I'm here to help."

"Thanks, it means a lot to me."

With nothing more to say, Yaku approached the door and knocked several times. He waited, wondering what the hell was waiting for him on the other side. A short, stocky man opened the door, his expression souring when he met Yaku's gaze.

"Oh. Should've known you'd show up now of all times." He grumbled, looking to Daichi. "And with a friend."

"Cut it out dad," Yaku grunted. "I got a letter saying something happened with Miyu."

"Oh, so you care about her but not me?"

Yaku sighed heavily. "Can I come in or not?"

They were allowed in, Yaku scanned the vaguely familiar surroundings and immediately honed in on his sister braiding her rust-red hair, the family trait as well as a testament to their short tempers. She caught his gaze and smiled, standing up from the table she had been sat at. It took Yaku two seconds to process that her stomach was round, the small but noticeable bump gave him all the answers he needed.

"Oh for god's sake..." Yaku groaned. "Miyu, are you fucking with me?"

"Morisuke, it's not...I don't know what was in the letter but--" She pleaded, taking his hands and squeezing them. "It wasn't an accident, I wanted a baby."

"In this shithole of a town?" Yaku asked, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Yes, yes because it's our home." She insisted, her determined gaze focused on her older brother. "Look, the father is really kind—”

"Who is it?" Yaku squeezed her hands. "He better not be skipping town."

Daichi stood somewhat awkwardly in the doorway to the kitchen, the house was kept clean but was still in need of work. It wasn't a bad home by all accounts, but it seemed strangely empty.

"He's not. He was in the market today, he'll be back soon and you can see for yourself." Miyu smiled. "Please don't be mad Morisuke, I know you don't like it here and wanted me to leave with you but I just couldn't."

Yaku sighed heavily, gently taking her face in his hands and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I get it, I'm a selfish bastard who just wanted to see more than these god damn mountains."

A weak laugh left Miyu as she nodded. "I won't ask you to come home, I've grown up since you left and can take care of myself."

"Is that right…" Yaku regarded her with a small smile.

A sense of relief passed over Daichi as the siblings seemed to calm down and talk normally for a while. Their father lingered in the stairway, not trying to talk to his son or the guest he had brought home. It made Daichi think he knew what was coming wouldn't be pretty. The door swung open, in walked in a familiar face. Familiar for the wrong reasons.

"Miyu I'm home--oh fuck what are you doing here?"

"Kenisuke, this is my brother." Miyu started only for Yaku to cut in.

"Wait, he's the father of your child? He tried to kill me today!"

"What?"

Kenisuke seemed caught between fleeing and challenging Yaku. Daichi took a deep breath and stepped between the two of them, hands outstretched to try and defuse the bubbling tension.

"Okay, let's not do anything stupid." He said, looking at both of them in turn. "The incident in the market was a mistake, an act of stupidity, right?"

Kenisuke nodded slowly, cautious of moving in case Yaku misunderstood his intentions.

"And clearly your sister cares for him, so he must have some redeeming qualities." Daichi continued, looking to Yaku. "We're all guilty of acting rashly out of anger Morisuke but for the sake of Miyu and your unborn kin, control your emotions right now."

"Right, but he actually tried to kill me today. And we know he was one of those scumbags that've been hunting Kuroo." Yaku replied, not lowering his guard. "So before I let him live, I want to know everything he can tell us about them."

"What are you talking about?" Miyu shoved Yaku harshly before aggressively pointing at him. "Sure he did some shitty things, but so did you!"

"Miyu listen to me, he was running with a group who want to kill the king!"

"But he's not anymore!"

"Because they cut their losses and ran away like the dogs they are!"

"Okay quit it!" Daichi silenced the siblings, turning to Kenisuke. "Look, I'm not involved in this family dispute, but what I am involved with is your former gang and what they're planning currently. He," Daichi gestured to Yaku "feels very strongly about them as well as your relationship with his sister. So it's in your best interest right now to tell us what you know about the Blue Serpents."

Kenisuke shook his head. "I'm not saying anything until he stops being so confrontational."

"Me?" Yaku said, eyebrows furrowing, "You're the one who threw an axe at me!"

Miyu looked at Kenisuke accusingly. "You did what?"

"I thought he was a--"

"You threw an axe at someone?"

"Well, yeah but--"

"You said you were going to stop being to thuggish. We're having a child for gods sake!" Miyu exclaimed. "We talked about this!"

Kenisuke threw up his hands, running his hands over his shaven head. "Right, yes. Okay. Shit."

"That's one way of putting it..." Yaku uttered.

"And you need to quit giving him a hard time." Miyu hissed at her brother. "He's troubled sure, but you're no prince charming either."

Their father sighed loudly from the stairway, Daichi almost wanted to demand he sorted this out but knew that wouldn't be a likely solution. There was a tense pause, neither male backing down immediately.

"Right," Kenisuke breathed "I'm sorry for being an asshole, to both of you." He gestured to the siblings. "I'm...I'm not perfect but I'm trying."

Yaku snorted, getting elbowed in the side by Miyu for it and deciding to accept the apology. "Fine, whatever. But if you fuck up and she, or her child, gets caught in the aftermath, you bet your ass I'll be coming after you."

"Morisuke!"

"That's fair, I...I don't have anyone else so--" Kenisuke shook his head, looking to Daichi and then back to Yaku. "I'll tell you what you wanna know about the Serpents. You're right, they cut me loose the day they left."

"Why'd they leave?" Daichi asked.

"...the lead unit from House Oikawa's army showed up."

The two guild-brothers exchanged a glance. "The army?" Daichi repeated.

Kenisuke nodded. "It was...somewhat unexpected, the higher ups only had a day or two’s notice and there was a bit of panic. They took what they needed and cleared out. Cut loose whoever they deemed unnecessary, like yours truly."

"So where have they gone?" Yaku pressed, focused now on the bigger picture.

Kenisuke shrugged. "They were very tight-lipped about where and what they were doing. I only knew what was passed down to me; who was coming to town, what the latest quota of shipments was, when the next shipment was due...that kinda shit."

"Anything about shipment #444?" Yaku abruptly asked.

"...no, I know the number but not the cargo...why?"

Yaku shook his head. "You don't want to know." He murmured. "But where would we find whatever they left behind? We're on a bit of a hunt right now."

"There's a cave outside of the second north gate, it's an access tunnel to some of the mines. They kept some of the manifestos there, you should be able to break in easily. Don’t bother with the house in the city, it was just a bunkhouse and people have probably moved in already and thrown most of the other crap out."

Daichi nodded. "I'll tell the others. We leave at dawn."

Yaku gave him a puzzled look. "Uh, sure."

"You stay here." Daichi told him with a smile. "You've been away for two summers Morisuke, take some time with your family. Gods only know what crazy shit-storm we're about to dive into..."

Miyu smiled, placing a hand on Yaku's shoulder. "Please, I want you to get to know the Kenisuke I know. At least stay and tell us about your adventures if nothing else." She pleaded.

Yaku sighed, smiling slightly at her. "Yeah, okay. I'll meet the guys at the tavern in the morning though."

Daichi nodded in parting before letting himself out of the house. He somewhat wished he could return to his home sooner rather than later, he was right when he said that the gods only knew how much shit they were about to dive into with this latest twist in the tale. He made the conscious effort to go to the rookery to see if there was a message waiting for them, sure enough, there was a very impatient crow hopping about waiting for him.

He settled down by the candlelight of the writing desk to pen a reply, hoping the guild was still in one piece.


	13. Judgement Day

 

**XII**

**Judgement Day**

 

The sun's rays peeked over the mountaintops, light glimmering on the lake's calm surface. The dawn was young as they set out, leaving Moniwa behind to look after Hotaru and see to any messages that came through. They were to walk most of the distance, Akaashi would ride ahead and announce that they were bringing Kunimi in before stating The Brotherhood's terms.

They still hadn't received word from the Kitamine party.

"Are we sure this is going to work?" Kiyoko asked Suga quietly, Kunimi was sticking by Kindaichi's side like a newborn deer would stay by its mother. "There's no way we can guarantee his safety."

"We have to hope that both yours and his name carry enough weight in the king's memory to look kindly on us. Plus we do know that there's something going on with House Kageyama, that people are at least throwing the name around if nothing else." Suga replied, trying to shake off the weight on his shoulders.

"And if they don't?"

Suga shook his head. "We can't think about that."

The overall plan was simple; get Kunimi to the palace and then Suga, Kiyoko and Akaashi would accompany him to the king. The others were there mostly to ensure no bounty hunters or mercenaries got any crazy ideas to try and take him from them. They were going to stay as close to the truth as possible, with a few minor white lies to protect the rest of the guild; they were a brotherhood of mercenaries, mages and outcasts. They had accepted Kunimi into their fold when he ran away from the palace but had no idea he was wanted all this time until they were attacked in another town over it. Suga hoped that the king would be at least willing to hear out how Kunimi has never once tried to talk them into assassinating anyone, that the fact Kunimi has been silent for so long would put things heavily in his favour.

If things went downhill, they'd play the Blue Serpents card and see where it led them.

Nishinoya seemed at ease, which in turn helped Hinata forget how risky this entire trip was. There were numerous ways that this could so south and end up with them all accused of treason for simply housing Kunimi. He started talking to Hinata about how they really could end up in a street brawl if a mercenary or two decided they wanted Kunimi's bounty and what to do in that situation.

"The key to not being arrested is letting them make the first move." Nishinoya said. "Defend yourself and make sure you don't respond with more violence than they give you."

"But we're mages." Hinata replied. "I can only fight back with fire and sparks, that'll be more than any blade cutting me."

Nishinoya shook his head. "No, you focus your energy into a blade and meet theirs." He smiled determinedly. "You know how we practised with Akaashi? Defence rather than offence!”

The sound of approaching horse hooves on the dirt abruptly ended their conversation. Akaashi halted Raimei in front of them, expression cold and unyielding as the party gathered around to hear the news.

"They're willing to listen." He stated. "However, there is another judgement taking place, an act of treason."

The sinking feeling in Kunimi's stomach made him want to wretch. Kindaichi ruffled his hair in an attempt to ease his nerves.

"Who?" Suga asked.

"Lord Takamatsu of the Northern region." Akaashi replied. "From what I heard, he was feeding information to bandits about visiting lords and ladies and openly letting them thieve from them."

"Pretty serious charges though," Kiyoko said, "treason? Surely that's just...well idiocy."

Akaashi shrugged. "Tooru isn't taking this lightly, I heard he's set on clearing up the 'mess' his father made. Anyway, shall I ride back and see that no-one jumps us?"

"No, I want you here" Suga stated, looking to Hinata and Nishinoya. "You two, take Raimei and ride ahead. Scout out the main road to the palace to see what kind of crowds are around today before meeting us at the gate on foot. I want to be prepared but I don't want to draw attention to us."

Akaashi nodded, dismounting the stallion and handing the reins to Nishinoya. The mages exchanged a glance before climbing into Raimei's saddle. Nishinoya spurred the stallion to a gallop, the city wasn't that far away and time was not on their side.

It was a typical day in Tanishiti, no-one batted an eye at them as Nishinoya steered Raimei through the streets to an out-of-the-way place to leave him. The blacksmith was all too happy to accept the handful of silver pieces in exchange for keeping the stallion ready to go at a moment's notice. There was something in the air though, a tension that neither mage could describe as they walked towards the palace, a crowd was gathering at the unopened gates, waiting for something.

"...are they waiting for Kunimi?" Hinata whispered.

Nishinoya shook his head, spying an unattended balcony overlooking the plaza. "Up here, come on."

They clambered up to the vantage point, sitting amongst the potted herbs as they waited. The sound of a war horn erupted from behind the gate, the loud creaking of iron hinges signalled the gates opening. A knight adorned in white armour walked forth, scroll in his hands. Behind him, a large man with broad shoulders stood, hands and neck locked in a set of wooden stocks. His face was bloodied, moustache stained like he had been in a tavern fight, his stride sluggish and hampered by the burden of keeping the wooden contraption from sending him to the floor.

The crowd parted for the knight, armour glinting in the bright sunlight that bathed the plaza. Two guards prompted the prisoner to follow, neither of them saying a word as the crowd watched on, waiting for the scroll to be unfurled. In the centre of the plaza was a large stone pillar, usually it bore decorations for festivals and on occasion had a brazier sat upon it. Today however, it was going to be used to keep the prisoner in place as the guards anchored the stocks to it with heavy chains.

"Residents of Tanishiti," The knight's voice boomed over the silence of the crowd. "here is the former Lord Takamatsu of the Northern region. He stands before you as a traitor of House Oikawa, of His Majesty King Tooru, of the people of this realm."

A shocked murmured passed over the crowd as the knight unfurled the scroll and began reading.

"His crimes include, but are by no means limited to; betraying the trust of his fellow countrymen, coordinating with enemy forces, instructing enemy forces, obstructing justice, defying His Majesty's orders and stealing from the town of Kitamine's funds."

Nishinoya shook his head, this did not bode well for Kunimi's fate.

"For his crimes, Lord Takamatsu has been stripped of all titles of nobility and evicted from the Lord's manor in Kitamine. He is to remain in the stocks here for three days with only scraps to eat. Once those days have passed, he shall be sent to the farmlands of Kōshi and put under the service of Lady Ise to begin paying back the debt he owes to his countrymen."

"And what do we get to do?" A voice called from the crowd. The knight raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the former lord.

"You may do whatever you see fit for a traitor of the crown." The knight replied.

A murmur passed over the crowd, some laughter and jeers amongst the sighs and tuts from others. With nothing more to say, the knight rolled up the scroll and proceeded to stride back inside the palace walls. The two guards parted from the centre of the plaza and stood at opposite sides, watching the proceedings as some townsfolk approached the traitor.

Nishinoya tugged Hinata away from watching, neither of them needed to see what was happening.

"Who was that? The knight?" Hinata asked.

"That, well that was the king's royal guard." Nishinoya replied. "I'm honestly surprised that he wasn't more...anyway. The point is if that's how the king is treating a lord, I dunno what he's gonna do to Kunimi."

"Maybe...maybe he'll remember Kunimi?" Hinata suggested, doubt clear in his voice.

"I dunno, but that's a problem for the others, we should hurry to the gate. We need to make sure that he gets to the palace in one piece."

They quickly dropped down to the ground, ignoring the shouting and jeering coming from behind them as they made their way towards the gate. Most of the crowd had gone back to their usual business, those still gathered around the stocks more interested in giving the former lord a piece of their mind.

As they rounded a corner with the interest in taking the back alleyways to avoid the crowds, Hinata collided with a cloaked male, sending him sprawling backwards to the ground and looking up at the other. Nishinoya helped him up as he babbled an apology, not really paying attention to the skin-crawling sensation he was experiencing.

"Sorry!" Hinata bowed again in apology.

"It's fine." The other murmured. "Mages often have their heads in the clouds."

Hinata took a better look at the other; short blond hair that was on the scruffy side, square-ish eyeglasses perched on his nose as he scowled at the two of them. He was tall but young, and there was a weird feeling pooling in Hinata's stomach as they held each other's gaze.

"Uhm...yeah," Hinata replied. "Well uh I'm sorry for bumping into you." He didn't like how this guy spoke as if he knew for a fact Hinata was a mage.

Nishinoya rolled his eyes. "Come on, we don't have time for this." He hissed.

The two of them rushed off, forgetting about the stranger as they hurried to the gate to wait. The rolling fields stretched towards the mountains of the north and beyond the horizon to the south, a clear sky meant it was a cool day, the bright sun bathing everything it touched in a warm glow.

Soon enough, the others arrived with Kunimi hidden from view largely by them forming a circle around him. Nishinoya told them what he and Hinata had just witnessed, that most of the city seemed disinterested in traitors but there were a few who looked to take advantage of the situation.

"Well, once we're in the palace, we only have the king to deal with." Kiyoko said, hand going to her katana. "Everything will be fine."

"Besides, they're expecting us." Akaashi added. "So--"

He was cut off by a loud voice, a man clad in armour similar to the royal guard approached them, striking blond hair standing out from his half-shaven head.

"Captain Yamamoto, commander of the city guard." He introduced himself with a nod. "You're of the Silver Owl Brotherhood, correct?"

Kiyoko met his gaze calmly but stepped aside to let Suga address the captain.  
  
"Yes sir, we are." Suga nodded back.

"And you have the suspected criminal?"

Kunimi grabbed Kindaichi's hand. "They're not taking me." He hissed under his breath.

Suga kept his calm expression as he made no move to step aside and reveal Kunimi. "We do. But we have terms we want met before we hand him over."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow, he was around the same height as Suga so couldn't really look down on the other. "Well, I have orders to bring him to the king directly."

"And I have orders to make sure he's treated properly, from my superiors." Suga retorted with confidence, the captain didn’t seem to be any older than him. "We have every intention of handing him over, but I need to ensure he isn't slaughtered without our demands being met."

Hinata's eyes widened, Nishinoya abruptly put a hand over his mouth to prevent him from saying anything stupid. Kunimi squeezed Kindaichi's hand as Yamamoto and Suga held each other's gaze for a few moments.

"Very well. But I cannot allow all of you to come. We will allow two of you to accompany him, and no mages are to enter the court."

Suga swallowed. He had to pick two people to go with Kunimi, two who'd be able to adapt to anything thrown at them. He knew Kindaichi would want to go but in that moment he was not the one best suited for the job.

"Kiyoko, Akaashi." Suga stated. "You go, you know what our superiors want."

Kunimi's fearful gaze met Kindaichi's as the captain nodded. "Yuutarou."

"I know, but have some faith." Kindaichi replied. "They'll be better suited for this Akira, you know they won't do what isn't necessary."

Kunimi shook his head, clinging onto Kindaichi's arm. "I can't go alone, please I can't--"

Suga's gentle hand on his shoulder cut him short. "Listen to me Kunimi, we're not going to let them take you." He whispered. "You know us better than that, just go along with the plan and follow their lead."

"But--"

"We have your back. We always will." Suga told him, patting his shoulder.

Akaashi exchanged a glance with Kiyoko. It went without saying that using his powers during this encounter was a no-go, but that only meant he had to be sneakier about it if it came down to it. Kunimi released Kindaichi and allowed Akaashi and Kiyoko to flank him as he approached the captain.

"The bounty poster said you wanted him unharmed." Kiyoko stated, drawing her blade. "And we're going to make sure it stays that way until we get to the palace."

Yamamoto blinked slowly as Akaashi followed suit; unclasping his whip-blade and activating its runestone to turn it into a sword. "Uh...okay."

"We mean it." Akaashi stated. "Anyone even attempts to harm him, we cut them down."

Suga wanted to tell them to calm down but he had to let things run their course. He ordered Nishinoya and Hinata away to find Raimei, Kindaichi was to accompany him to the rookery to send a crow to Moniwa. Kunimi's fate was left in the hands of Akaashi and Kiyoko.

The crowds took notice of Captain Yamamoto leading the trio through the street. Kunimi kept his head down as Kiyoko gently took hold of his arm to lead him to his fate. He swallowed as he heard the word 'traitor' uttered. He had always known returning would be hard, that there would be questions and accusations, but he had always thought Kindaichi would be by his side through it all.

"Do you have a plan?" Akaashi uttered to Kiyoko. They had always assumed Suga would take the lead in this situation.

"I have what we agreed with Suga and a few other ideas. It depends how receptive the king is." Kiyoko replied.

"We shouldn't reveal all our cards at once, that's all I'm saying."

"Noted."

Kunimi's gaze focused on the plaza opening up in front of him. An older man currently imprisoned in the stocks looked worse for wear; nose bloodied, bruises forming on his arms, rotten fruit splattered about him. None of them said anything as Captain Yamamoto led them to the gate.

"Guys...I don't want to die." Kunimi breathed as the gates slowly opened to reveal the palace known as the Blue Castle. “I’m not letting them execute me.”

"You won't be executed." Akaashi replied. "You have our word."

The extravagant manor house stood before them, wings of the building wrapping around the courtyard with their bright blue tiled roofs. A large turning circle for carriages and horses sat in front of the main building. Two heavy doors sat atop a flight of stone steps, opening slowly for them. Horses and soldiers milled about in the courtyard, going about their usual business in the embrace of the tall walls of the grounds. Four guards met them at the doors, following them into the long hallway that led to the throne room. Kunimi didn't care to look at the paintings on display, he had seen them enough growing up to know who was who.

They halted at the inner door. Captain Yamamoto turned to them with a neutral expression. "So, usually with these things, I take him from you and present him for judgement." He stated. "However, His Majesty has requested that...well it's not a regular judgement."

"Get on with it." Kunimi uttered. "Am I being hauled straight to the stake to be burned alive or what?"

Kiyoko squeezed his arm in warning. "What he means is, is there a chance that His Majesty will hear him out?"

Yamamoto scratched the back of his head. "I...don't know. See the dude in the plaza, there was solid evidence that he was a traitor. But him, not so much."

Akaashi was trying to understand what the captain was trying to say. "So the king doesn't know if Kunimi is actually a traitor."

"In essence, but he'll treat him as if he is one for show. The remaining council will be watching to see how he casts judgement."

"Joy. Bureaucracy." Kunimi remarked.

"Nevertheless, we have terms we want met." Akaashi reminded Yamamoto. "So we're going in."

Yamamoto nodded. "Understood, but do not speak until spoken do." He nodded to the guard who struck the floor three times to signal the doors opening.

The grand throne room opened up to them. Kiyoko and Akaashi immediately felt more than a little apprehensive as their gazes honed in on the man sat upon the throne; he looked young, far too young, to be adorned with the golden circlet. White robes seemed far too bright in the well-lit room, the hints of blue detail seeming brighter still. Banners hung from white pillars that lined the hall, the bright red Phoenix standing out even more in the whiteness of the room.

"Presenting, Captain Taketora Yamamoto of the House Guard, Akira Kunimi, suspected criminal against the House, and his two comrades from the Silver Owl Brotherhood." The guard announced.

Kunimi was released and allowed to walk at his own pace, following Yamamoto towards the throne. Kiyoko and Akaashi flanked him, their weapons now sheathed but still wary of the situation. As he reached the steps to the throne, Kunimi instinctively sunk to one knee, old habits dying hard. He remembered the hours of being taught proper manners around the royals, the chastising when he forgot to bow or nod respectfully as they passed him in the hallways.

Now they all amounted to this; him bowing before the teenage king as he awaited his sentence for a crime he did not commit.

"You may stand." The calm voice stated the voice that he barely recognised after the years of being away.

He got to his feet and met the brown eyes of the one he used to serve. He noted the lack of brightness in them, the toll of being king weighed heavily on Tooru's shoulders.

"Akira." Tooru nodded. "It's been a long time."

"At least three summers." Kunimi replied. "And only now have you requested by presence sire."

Tooru shifted on his throne. "This is true, but I've only become king in these last few months." Tooru kept his expression calm, a far cry from the fury that most of the council waiting in the wings were expecting.

Kunimi glanced to Kiyoko and Akaashi. "If I may, your Majesty, what gives?"

Tooru smiled. "Well, I'll tell you something Akira," he glanced at Iwaizumi hovering by his throne. "I have a mess to clean up, several actually, and unfortunately for you, you're considered one of them."

Kunimi raised an eyebrow but said nothing, letting the king continue.

"You accused our former court mages of trying to assassinate my father. And then fled the palace when judgement was passed, punching two guards in the process."

"You are correct." Kunimi nodded. "May I ask what happened to those court mages?"

Iwaizumi snorted. "They packed up and left two months after you did. They said they couldn't work in a place where the servants could accuse them of treason."

"Either way, you were found guilty of treason then and you ran." Tooru reeled the conversation back in. “Leaving your mother and everything you’ve ever known.”

"Was I supposed to willingly go to my death when I am innocent?"

There were a few murmurs from the council watching over the proceedings. Kiyoko and Akaashi exchanged a glance as Tooru straightened his posture.

"My father's passing was untimely Akira, you were the only one who has ever been found guilty of treason and then escaped punishment. It doesn't look favourably on you my friend."

Akaashi chose that moment to step in. "Your Majesty, if I may;"

Tooru gestured for him to continue. Ignoring the murmurs from the wings.

"Akira joined our brotherhood shortly after he escaped." He stated, pacing the floor at the bottom of the steps to the throne. "But only recently did we ourselves learn of his supposed crimes. We can vouch that he has had no part to play in your father's untimely demise."

"And what do you know of these crimes?" Iwaizumi barked.

"Iwaizumi, please." Tooru calmly stated. "This man is not the one on trial here sir..."

"Keiji Akaashi." Akaashi bowed in greeting. "And we were told by Akira that the court mages were the ones conspiring to murder the late king. He told us that he overheard them and went to your father directly when he admits he should've questioned the claim further. He acted rashly out of patriotism your Majesty, he wanted to prevent any attempt on your father's life."

Tooru mulled over the words, stroking his jaw as he did so. The walls of the throne room echoed the sound of his foot tapping in thought.

"I shall share with you, and those present here today, my version of that night Akira." Tooru stood from his throne, clasping his hands behind his back. "I was coming back from a day's hunt with Iwaizumi when I received the news that you had gone to my father with, what the messenger says was, an outlandish claim. So naturally, I hurried to my father's chambers to inquire, my mother caught me and told me there was nothing to be done, that my father's mind was made up."

"I was also told, that I was not allowed to interfere." He kept his steady gaze on Kunimi. "I ignored that and walked in to hear my father ordering your execution before he had even called for your trail. I told him that you wouldn't make up accusations, that you were nothing but loyal to me and my family. My father wouldn't hear of it, he banished me to my own chambers whilst your trial was called. I was placed under armed guard - Iwaizumi too. We were powerless to stop it."

Kunimi raised an eyebrow. "I see."

"I still do not believe that you had any intention of taking my father's life. However, the council then and now don't believe that you are loyal to the crown. The fact that my father died before his time of no obvious ailment only deepens their suspicions. The fact you ran despite claiming you’re innocent did not help matters."

"So? Are you going to kill me?" Kunimi stated, unable to keep quiet and orderly any longer. "Knowing what you know about me, knowing that we grew up together, that I listened to every complaint you had, that I carried out every task you ordered me to without complaint? Are you going to ignore all of that?"

Tooru swallowed, clenching his hands into fists behind his back briefly. "I cannot allow you to leave this place Akira, not without you being held accountable--"

"Sire." Kiyoko spoke up, prompting more gasps and murmurs from the council. "May I suggest something?"

Tooru and Iwaizumi gave Kiyoko a puzzled look, the flicker of recognition pass over of both their faces. "Sure, miss?"

"Kiyoko Shimizu, former recruit for the royal guard." she bowed, the gesture feeling almost normal.

"Former," Iwaizumi repeated. "Wait, you're the girl from Kaiganzoimura. I remember training with you."

Kiyoko nodded, straightening her stance and remembering her lessons on addressing the court. "I uh, had an unexpected family emergency come up which prevented me from taking the post officially." She spun the tale easily, barely hesitating. "As such, I have turned to mercenary work instead."

Tooru nodded, the hint of a smile on his face. "Very well, your suggestion?"

"If it is a question of Akira's loyalty to you, then surely he can help put it right by proving his loyalty?"

"...a valid point." Tooru turned his attention to Kunimi. "What say you? Are you prepared to fulfil a task I set in order to prove your loyalty?"

Kunimi let the question hang in the air for a moment. "I am, your Majesty."

Akaashi and Kiyoko shared a glance, the unspoken threat of House Kageyama was in their minds but they were pushing their luck as it was with interruptions.

Tooru smiled. "Glad to hear it. Now I just need something worthy of testing your mettle against."

"We...might have something." Kiyoko spoke up. "Something we have tried to forewarn you about already your Majesty."

"Oh?"

"Our Brotherhood has been tracking a band of thugs known as the Blue Serpents due to a personal vendetta against them. But whilst tracking one of their contacts we stumbled...across something worrying."

"Go on." Tooru stated, his smile wavering.

"They mentioned House Kageyama's heir being alive."


	14. An Addition of the Feline Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll get back to a more regularly timed upload schedule soon I promise! Thank-you to everyone reading :3

 

**XIII**

**An Addition of the Feline Kind**

 

"What is that cat doing here?" Daichi found himself asking as he stood in the doorway of the room they were renting. Beside Kenma, atop a pile of blankets was a large fluffy cat. Grey and black fur framed bright green eyes that watched him intently as he closed the door.

"Well, funny story," Bokuto remarked from the bed he had already claimed. "We arrived and it wasn't here, but when Tanaka came back from his rendezvous with the barmaid, it snuck in and now it refuses to leave."

"Right, but is it a pet cat or...feral?"

Kenma regarded the cat with a disdainful look. "I think it's somewhat domesticated. Too well groomed to be feral."

"He's a friendly cat though." Tanaka scratched at the fur just behind the cat's ear, a loud purring emanating from the ball of fur. "So I mean, does it matter where he came from?"

"Oh _hell_ no, I'm not having some travelling monk or someone accusing me of kidnapping a cat!" Daichi sighed. He wasn't sure why he specified a monk but in his mind it seemed as likely as anything else they had experienced.

"Cat-napping." Tanaka murmured.

"No, that's taking a nap like a cat, not kidnapping a cat." Bokuto corrected.

"Cat-napping a cat."

"No that’s not right either..."

Kuroo shook his head, trying not to outright break into a fit of laughter. Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what he had done in a past life to deserve this madness.

"We're not keeping the cat." Daichi declared.

"No!" Tanaka and Bokuto cried in protest. The cat itself showed no inclination to leave the room, rather it decided that Kenma's lap would be the perfect sleeping spot that night. Kenma however, was less than amused.

"Look, how the hell are we going to look after a cat whilst trying not to die ourselves?"

"He raises a good point." Bokuto nodded. "But what if I put some armour on the cat--"

"No!"

"Ooh ooh, I know, we train the cat to kill--"

"Oh for god's sake."

Kuroo snorted as Daichi left the room in a huff. Kenma was still preoccupied with the overly large cat trying to get comfortable on his lap as Tanaka and Bokuto fell into hoots of laughter. It was nice to have the party in high spirits, but Kuroo had to admit he wasn't totally on board with the idea of taking a cat everywhere they went.

"Okay guys, like seriously. It probably belongs to someone here, we can't just take it away with us." Kuroo sighed, calming the other two down as he stood up.

"Boo, you're no fun," Bokuto remarked, "but fine, I guess having a guild cat isn't meant to be."

"Besides, we have two horses with us, adding a cat isn't going to help our supplies."

Kenma was reluctantly stroking the feline, resigning himself to having to sleep upright that night. He didn't _hate_ the cat per say, he'd just rather it didn't sit on him all night.

"Hey, maybe someone should check on Daichi," Tanaka sighed after a few moments, "seems like he's stressed out."

Kuroo nodded. "'kay, but no more talk of keeping the cat." He said, making his way to the door. The hallway was dark, light streamed in through the window at the end of it and there was no sign of Daichi. It didn't take long to find him though, there was still a bard performing a slow ballad in the main hall, and that's where Kuroo found him.

"They were kidding around." Kuroo stated as he sat down across the table from Daichi.

"Yeah I know," Daichi smiled weakly "I dunno Tetsu, this entire situation is bugging me a lot."

Kuroo listened as Daichi told him about what Kenisuke said, the plan to go to the cave and see if there was anything that could help their cause. There was also the small issue of the letter that had been sat in a rookery waiting for them for several days and so now Daichi was fearful that Suga was going to be mad at him.

"Thing is, I couldn't even give them anything to go on. So gods know how they'll handle Kunimi's bounty without us." Daichi finished, sighing heavily and holding his head in his hands.

Kuroo couldn't even deny that it was a shitty situation. "I mean, I'd like to think that Suga and Akaashi can hold down the guild whilst we're gone."

"But they were going to Tanishiti to see if they could sort out Kunimi's--"

"Yes, but they also wouldn't do anything rash without us."

Daichi looked up at Kuroo, a faint smile brought comfort to him. They remained a while in the lull of the conversation, the bard's ballad further putting them at ease before Kuroo leaned forward on the table.

"So we go to the cave, have a rummage in the remains, then haul ass back to the guild to see what we can do about this bounty." He declared.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan." Daichi smiled. "Thanks Tetsurou..."

"Think nothing of it." Kuroo returned the smile. "Let's just do what we can in this shitty situation."

"You seem very upbeat for someone who's gone through what you have." Daichi remarked, standing up to return to the room. Kuroo followed suit, shrugging as they began walking.

"Let's just say, the bigger picture is more terrifying than a petty squabble with old friends. Besides, I should focus on my current family, on protecting them. Sure I've said Kunimi is a little shit on occasion but he's a good kid, one that I don't think should go down for treason."

Daichi's smile grew a little. "You've been thinking a lot  during this trip, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I'm done sitting on my hands and feeling sorry for the shit I've been through. I want to make something positive happen out of it."

"I'll make a decent guild leader out of you yet."

"Cheeky bastard." Kuroo snorted, elbowing Daichi in the side in jest.

"Says the one."

 

* * *

 

  
There was a stunned silence in the hall, even the council had ceased their mutterings as Tooru stared at Kiyoko with disbelief.

"House Kageyama's heir...is alive?" He repeated.

"That's what we heard, we have no solid proof of this, but our own dealings with the Blue Serpents would imply that they are working with House Kageyama...possibly in an attempt to dethrone you." Akaashi chose his words carefully.

Iwaizumi stepped forward, turning towards the king with a sceptical look. "...do you really believe them?"

"I believe there has always been something off about the reports from that day." Tooru murmured. "But the recent rumours of Hokubujōsai being occupied could be more than idle chatter amongst the townsfolk out on the border, Tobu Misaki-Mura is a ghost town sure, but if someone has taken up residence in the ruins of the fortress...that’s troublesome."

Iwaizumi glanced at Kunimi. "You could send him to verify those rumours."

Tooru nodded slightly, Kiyoko and Akaashi exchanged a glance and dared to hope that they may have just pulled this off without resorting to violence or bribery.

"Okay, return here tomorrow at noon. I will have an official decree of your task." Tooru announced, voice echoing off the walls. "All you must know right now is to prepare for a journey eastwards and you will be accompanied by a trusted scout of mine. Whomever else you choose to bring is up to you."

Kunimi let out a sigh of relief, daring to smile a little. He bowed in gratitude - only partly faked - as Tooru returned to his seat. "As you wish your Majesty."

"You may leave." The simple wave of Tooru's hand seemed almost too small a gesture for granting Kunimi the right to leave without chains on his wrists.

There was a moment where the trio couldn't believe they just pulled off what they set out to achieve. Akaashi and Kiyoko exchanged a glance before daring to smile as Kunimi turned to leave. The relief in Kunimi's eyes spoke wonders to them both. The feeling of confronting his past and coming out alive had made a small detail slip his mind. It hadn't gone completely unnoticed, however. Akaashi held up a hand to halt their departure from the discussion.

“Uhm, one more thing sire.” Akaashi glanced to Kunimi as Tooru nodded expectantly. “You said Akira left his mother behind, does she still work in the palace?”

Tooru smiled slightly. “Yeah, even after Akira left, we saw no reason to banish her, she had no knowledge of anything her son had allegedly done. She still works within the palace.”

Kunimi swallowed, he hadn’t really thought much into seeing her again. He almost felt guilty over not requesting to see her immediately.

“Once I’ve given you your orders tomorrow, I’ll get you to her, I promise.”

Kunimi nodded in thanks to both Tooru and Akaashi before the trio bowed in parting and were swiftly escorted out of the palace. Suga and the others were waiting in the plaza, watching some of the townsfolk pelting the man in the stocks with fruit. As soon as Kunimi saw Kindaichi he bolted into the other's arms, burying his face in the familiar chest of his best friend. Kiyoko and Akaashi smiled as the two hugged, Suga seemed to visibly relax at the fact they were all in one piece and Kunimi wasn't in chains.

"So what gives?" Nishinoya asked. "Is he off the hook?"

Akaashi shook his head. "Is there a tavern or somewhere we can explain better?"

Kiyoko and Suga nodded, leading the party straight to the Lethal Lantern. The guard recognised the duo and let them in without a word, it was nearly empty for a late afternoon which was somewhat comforting to the party. They dragged stools to the table in the corner as Suga bought a round of drinks and paid for a platter of cheese to nibble on. Kunimi downed his drink within a few seconds of having it, a relieved smile on his face as he glanced around the table at the others.

"So, what's the story?" Suga asked.

Kiyoko took a sip before launching into the explanation; how the entire discussion unfolded, how Tooru seemed willing to believe that Kunimi is innocent, how he wanted to reverse his father's orders but had to abide by the council's wishes. Akaashi chipped in to explain how they too argued that Kunimi had never spoken about killing the king, how they had known him the past three years and never suspected anything.

"And now we're going on some grand adventure?" Nishinoya summarised once they mentioned Hokubujōsai and the ghost city it resided in.

"We don't exactly know what yet, but yes." Kiyoko nodded. "From what it sounds like, we'll be going to the eastern kingdom to confirm or deny the rumours of the Kageyama heir being alive."

"It sounds so easy...but if I know anything about our lives, it'll be chaos." Nishinoya remarked with a small chuckle. No-one was going to disagree with the notion that whatever they were about to embark on was probably going to be as dramatic as their last grand adventure.

Hinata wasn't sure what to think of it all. "So, if we go there and find nothing...what do we do?"

"There'll be a scout with us." Akaashi replied. "They'll confirm Kunimi fulfilled his task and report back to the king. Then, in theory, that should be enough to prove he's loyal to the crown."

"...and if we find something?" Suga asked. "Say, a disgruntled heir to the throne of a kingdom that technically doesn't exist?"

The group was quiet as the barman walked over and served the platter of cheeses, prompting them to begin snacking.

"Well, this is the thing," Kunimi said between mouthfuls "I'm just being sent to confirm if he's alive, it ain't my job to settle some royal dispute."

"He's right." Kindaichi nodded. "If anything, the scout will be the one who'll have to deal with that."

Suga sighed. "I guess it's better than the alternative. When do we have to leave?"

"Tomorrow, the king will hand an official decree. This'll grant Kunimi protection from any bounty hunters and guards who aren't aware of the bounty being lifted." Kiyoko replied, casting a glance to Kunimi. “There’s also a chance for Kunimi to talk to his mother.”

Kindaichi regarded Kunimi with a wide-eyed expression. Kunimi raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly. “Yeah, yeah Tooru said I’ll be able to talk to her tomorrow…dunno what I’m even gonna say. ‘Sorry I left in the middle of the night and never bothered to write’?”

Kindaichi wrapped an arm around Kunimi’s shoulders and ruffled his hair. “You know she’ll understand, and the fact you’re going to see her will mean the world to her.”

The others nodded, letting the comfortable silence fall as they all mulled over the situation. Their tankards were emptied and refilled as they slowly ate from the cheese platter, the quiet conversation started back up again as Nishinoya sensed that they were only delaying the inevitable at this point.

"I guess we better get back home and prepare, send a crow if needs be to the others. They should try to meet us at the old border." He said, setting his empty tankard down.

No-one dared to mention the fact that the others could be unreachable. Suga had to keep them going forwards and hope that Daichi and Kuroo were simply delayed in sending crows home.

Suga nodded in agreement. "Okay, we'll finish our drinks and head back. We have a lot to prepare for and less people to prepare with. We'll need to be prepared for literally anything when we leave, so spare no supplies."

A murmur of agreement passed over them. The excitement of a new adventure was dawning on them, but so was the sinking feeling that their guild-brothers were in hot water without a way to contact them.

 

* * *

 

 

The streets of Kitamine seemed less daunting than when they first arrived in the new day's light. A good night's rest and a big breakfast had renewed the party's strength and given them a much-needed boost. As they prepared to leave for the cave that the Blue Serpents had been using as a base, a loud meow distracted them.

"That _thing_ is not coming with us." Kenma uttered, handing Amaya's reins to Yaku.

"That thing seems to like you though." Kuroo remarked.

"It's not ours, we can't take it even if we wanted to." Daichi added as he handed the landlady a bag of coins for the night's rent. She raised an eyebrow and craned her neck to see what they were talking about.

"Oh, the cat." She laughed. "Well ye see, he's been wanderin' the tavern for a few weeks now since the summer season ended."

"He has no owner?" Tanaka asked, Daichi could already sense the stupidity that was about to be released from his mouth. "Does that mean we can take him?"

She shrugged. "If he wants to go, he'll go. We aren't fussed, he's a good mouser and can pack a mean bite if he wants to."

Kenma groaned, gently head-butting Yuki's saddle as he overheard the conversation. Bokuto patted his head reassuringly as Tanaka immediately repeated the question to Daichi.

"You heard the lady, if he wants to come with us, he will." Daichi said, nodding in parting to her before striding over to Yaku. The assassin had heard about the cat already. Tanaka was stroking it and actively telling it about what crazy adventures they go on and how he'd have the time of his nine lives if he joined them.

Kuroo and Bokuto chuckled as Kenma shook his head in disdain. The faint grumble of 'it's a dumbass cat' could be heard as Tanaka finally got with the program and fell in line. They began their walk out of the town, taking the second gate like Kenisuke had told them to, the path was well-trodden, making their lives easy for once. The brisk northerly breeze was almost refreshing as they slowly made their way towards the base of the mountain.

It didn't take very long to find the cave entrance, the large painted snake sigil was a bit of a giveaway. The door was open and half off its hinges, prompting them all to draw their weapons. The tunnel was dark, still and at first glance empty.

"Anyone get that weird 'we've been here before' feeling?" Bokuto remarked.

"Shut up Bokuto." Kuroo hissed.

Kenma lit one of the torches they had as Tanaka tied both horses to what remained of the door. The firelight did little to illuminate the tunnel. Daichi took point, leading them into the darkness, Kuroo just one step behind him. Between the two of them they had delved into many dark and dingy corners in search of targets and loot alike, their experiences combined meant they had little to no fear about this place.

That being said, waltzing into their enemy's lair - former or not - was still a little bit daunting. As they ventured further into the cave, it became obvious that there were few hiding spots. The tunnel simply led to a large cavern that had clearly been the base of operations; tables and sleeping cots lay abandoned, storage chests were largely empty of valuable goods, mining equipment piled up in a heap. A pile of scattered paper littered the floor around one table with several spent candles on it, instantly drawing Kuroo and Daichi’s attention.

The party was quiet, listening for any sign of movement from the small tunnels that split off towards the core of the mountain, Kuroo and Daichi examined the papers by the small light at Kenma's command. No-one said anything, barely a sound was made as they tip-toed around the carnage left behind.

The sound of dirt shifting underfoot made everyone freeze, the dim glow of Kenma's light not penetrating the darkness of any of the tunnels. Glances were exchanged between them as swords were unsheathed quietly, all of them ready to pounce on whatever was moving with them.

 _Mrrooow_.

"Oh for god's sake, that fucking cat." Kuroo sighed as the now familiar grey and black cat stepped into the light only to promptly sit down and begin licking at its fur.

"Aw, he was enchanted by my tales of adventure!" Tanaka remarked.

"Or drawn to your stupidity." Kenma uttered, smirking slightly as Tanaka pretended to be offended, knowing there was no malice to Kenma's sarcastic comments.

Daichi sighed heavily. "Right, so the cat followed us, whatever. Back to the task at hand please."

"What do the papers say?" Bokuto asked, the tense atmosphere having been shattered by the arrival of the cat. "Anything useful?"

Kuroo shook his head. "Hardly, just some chatter between them and the lord. Seems like this dude was a bit of a shady noble."

"Question is, why'd they leave in a hurry?" Tanaka said. "Seems like they had it pretty sweet here and the noble probably would’ve protected them from justice."

Daichi shuffled through some of the papers, finding one with the wax seal of Lord Takamatsu at the bottom. "...seems like our shady noble was found to be incompetent. The king ordered his men to investigate the town, that could be the reason these guys cleared out."

"Matches what everyone's been saying; they left in a hurry and left behind unimportant things." Kuroo continued. "But where have they gone now?"

"House Kageyama?" Yaku suggested. "If they're working for the rival house, they'd probably seek refuge with them."

Daichi shook his head. "Except House Kageyama's land was basically taken over by House Oikawa after the eruption. There's barely anything left."

"Just an active volcano and the shell of a capital city." Kuroo mused. "It's almost like the last place anyone would look for them."

There was a pause as the group gathered around the torch that was their only light. Daichi looked over the notes once again for any clue they may have missed, sighing as he finished.

"Are we saying that we need to chase them to the eastern kingdom?" Bokuto asked.

"I'm saying we return to the guild." Daichi replied. "We should see what the others have discovered and decide then."

"Have we received any more news?" Yaku asked, only getting a head shake in reply.

"You think they're okay?" Tanaka asked as they began walking back to the tunnel entrance.

"Yeah, maybe mad at us taking the long route here, but they're fine...probably." Daichi tried to keep an upbeat thought process, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss though. For the most part, no-one questioned it.

Getting back into town with the day still young meant the intention was to spend the rest of it in the tavern. However Daichi's gut instinct drew him to the rookery, he felt like there was something to see. He dragged Kenma with him - and by extension, the damned cat they seemed to have adopted - and sure enough, the irate crow from the guild was hopping around waiting for them.

"News?" Kenma asked, now resigned to attempting to hold the cat in order to make sure it didn't eat the crows and messenger eagles. The cat was imitating a slug with how it let its lower half sink towards the floor whilst Kenma kept a firm hold of its front quarters and head, its tail thrashing wildly in irritation.

Daichi reread the hastily scribbled words, trying to understand the situation as best he could.

"Uh, well the good news is Kunimi's been offered a pardon."

"...and the bad news?"

"They have to go and either confirm or deny the existence of the Kageyama heir...and quickly."

Kenma raised an eyebrow. "Convenient."

"Yeah, but Moniwa is basically saying we need to meet them at the old border which would be several days of riding," he paused, biting his lower lip in thought for a moment, "…unless..."

"Don't suggest what I think you're suggesting..."

"I think we need a boat."

Kenma let the cat drop to the floor.


	15. Running Ragged

 

 

**XIV**

**Running Ragged**

 

The scratching of quill-tip against parchment always sent a shiver down Tooru's spine. He hated writing things down, he had a lot of respect for those like Shirabu who kept meticulous notes on everything, but he was more of a doer, not a writer.

"I'm still surprised you believed them." Iwaizumi remarked as he watched the courtyard from the chamber window.

"House Kageyama is a valid threat...even if I wish it wasn't," Tooru replied, barely looking up from the words he was inking. "You know as well as I do that the idea of Tobio surviving what he was put through is slim...not to mention troubling."

Iwaizumi hummed in response. “So, who are we sending with them? Shirabu would be my first choice, but he just got back from Kitamine.”

Tooru dabbed the quill-tip into the pot of ink. “I have someone in mind, they grew up in the former lands of House Kageyama so they know the area.”

The knight didn’t question it, instead, he asked, “What are you gonna do if Tobio is alive?”

There was a pause, the scratching against parchment continued for a while before Tooru set the quill down. He didn’t want to answer that question in all honesty, he didn’t know what he would do if Tobio was alive.

“Deal with it.” Tooru answered as he waited for the wax to heat up, the bright blue candle would provide the royal seal that any guards from his land or the next would recognise, it was Kunimi’s free pass from all the bounty hunters. “Somehow.”

“Understood.” Iwaizumi paced over and placed a reassuring hand on Tooru’s shoulder. “Shall I summon the scout you have in mind?”

“Sure.” Tooru let the wax drip onto the bottom of the parchment and pressed the seal of his family name into it. “He’ll be in the market probably, take this letter to him.” Tooru plucked a different piece of parchment from his desk, this one didn’t bear the royal seal, but the scout didn’t need or want one for his line of work.

“Got it.”

“When you return, summon Yamamoto to me, I want to discuss how we’re getting that disgrace of a lord to Lady Ise’s care in Kōshi.”

Iwaizumi nodded, patting Tooru’s shoulder as he strode out of the room. He looked at the letter in his hand and who it was addressed to, the name rang a bell in his mind; a lone wolf in the realm who had made a name for himself in the court for various reasons. Iwaizumi understood now why Tooru didn’t want to release his court mage to deal with this issue; he was acting as if Tobio was alive beyond any reasonable doubt, and sending a court mage into his territory was a war declaration.

For all the comments of naivety that the war council banded around, Tooru was exercising extreme caution with this issue. It made Iwaizumi smile as he strode towards the castle doors.

* * *

 

Suga read the letter that Moniwa had promptly delivered upon the party returning from Tanishiti. The relief over the pardon was somewhat short-lived as he understood that the others had indeed reached Kitamine but there was no sign of the Serpents, that the royal army had spooked them into hiding and left very little behind in the way of leads.

“Well, I mean it’s better than them being caught by the army?” Nishinoya offered as he read the words carefully. The rest of the party were busy preparing to leave at first light to receive the royal decree, high spirits obvious in all of them.

“True, but now they’re gonna have to meet up with us along the way to…Suga gestured to the air, “what’s the city called?”

“Tobu Misaki-Mura.” Moniwa smiled. “Interestingly, it was the only major city and so it housed the royal palace. After both the eruption and the mass exodus, the towns and villages that lay between it and this kingdom were either abandoned or taken into House Oikawa’s care.”

“Right, but that’s going to be at least…a week’s ride for them easily.” Nishinoya hummed. “Unless they get ship’s passage around the coast.”

Suga shook his head. “Daichi won’t stress the need to get back this quickly, but we’ll send a crow to tell them to meet us near the border and send a crow closer to the time.”

Nishinoya nodded. “I mean, given that all we have to do is escort this scout - or whoever - to the city just to prove a point…do we need the others?”

Moniwa and Suga exchanged a glance. Truth be told, the quest didn’t really call for the entire guild to partake, however, there was a certain comfort that came when the entire group was together.

“It can’t hurt.” Moniwa decided. “Besides, we are still on the tail of the Serpents, it would be better to keep together just in case.”

“Agreed.” Suga sighed. “Anyway, there’s still a lot to pack up so can I entrust the letter to you Moniwa?”

The scholar nodded, watching as Suga hurried out of the main chamber. Nishinoya clicked his teeth as he offered the letter back to Moniwa.

“…does he seem stressed?” Nishinoya asked quietly.

“A little.” Moniwa nodded. “No-one said that taking over from Daichi would be easy.”

There was a pause as Nishinoya wrinkled his nose slightly. He shrugged and left to find Hinata. There seemed to be this unspoken understanding that Suga was the second in command when both Daichi and Kuroo were away, no-one had a problem with it per-say, but it was a lot of pressure to have on your shoulders.

He found Hinata with Kunimi in the armoury picking through the weapons and armour left behind by Bokuto. They had been tasked with preparing for whatever eventuality they could face on the road and taking it as an opportunity to test out some of the newer projects that Bokuto had been working on.

“You’re using the new gauntlets?” Hinata asked as Kunimi tested the fit.

“Well yeah, I’ve been practising my aim so why not?” Kunimi shrugged, closing his fingers into a fist. “You need to get used to wearing armour again, right?”

Hinata glanced over the armour racks, due to the guild’s newer direction into mercenary work Bokuto had been hard at work crafting everyone better quality armour that can lend to stealth as well as protection from direct hits. Hinata’s had been one of the last to be altered to accommodate the new line of work.

“I don’t know if it…fits?”

Nishinoya watched from the doorway as Kunimi chuckled slightly. Kunimi didn’t miss a beat as he found the mage’s armour on one of the racks and lifted it up. The iron buckles rattled as they dangled from their leather strappings, the simple jacket was designed to go on top of a normal tunic and provide added protection from both magic and swords alike. Bokuto had paid special attention to adding thin iron plating to protect the shoulders and collarbone but hadn’t yet tested it in a sparring session.

Kunimi held the jacket open for Hinata to slip it on, moving to help tighten the strapping and alter them if needed. Hinata grinned as he stepped back and tested how easy it was to move.

“How does it feel?” Kunimi asked, watching as Hinata flexed his arms.

“Alright,” Hinata shrugged. “I guess I’ll find out in a fight.”

There was a pause, Nishinoya raised an eyebrow as he watched Kunimi return to picking through the weapons on the table. Usually Kunimi was more than happy to initiate a fight with Hinata - always under the guise of a sparring or training session - so Nishinoya had been expecting him to jump at the chance to test his mettle against Hinata.

“With any luck, we won’t get into one.” Kunimi remarked, holding a dagger up to the candlelight. He glanced at the doorway and noticed Nishinoya stood there, prompting the mage to properly enter the room. “Hey Noya, what did the crow’s note say?”

“Uh, well the good news is that no-one’s been hurt.” Nishinoya replied, taking the dagger from Kunimi’s hand. “And they’ll be told to join us by the old border.”

“And the bad news?” Kunimi’s relaxed demeanour shifted, a frown forming on his face as Hinata cocked his head in confusion.

Nishinoya ran his finger along the flat edge of the dagger. “The Serpents have gone.”

“Gone.” Kunimi repeated, quirking an eyebrow in puzzlement.

“Yes. No idea where, the royal army spooked them and they’ve gone underground.”

“So what does that mean for Kuroo?” Hinata asked.

Nishinoya shrugged. “Who knows, but when we all meet up again I’m sure he and Daichi would’ve thought of something.”

Kunimi hummed, casting his eyes over the room that felt far too big without Bokuto running around causing havoc. He decided not to push the subject and focus on their own path currently, to let the problem facing the other party drift from his mind.

“Well, we have packing to do right?” Nishinoya abruptly asked, smiling at Hinata and Kunimi. “Let’s focus on going on this new adventure yeah?”

Hinata nodded, returning the smile. “Yeah! I can’t wait to see the eastern realm--”

Kunimi let out a small laugh as Hinata launched into an in-depth ramble about how he had barely heard of the eastern realm before now and this was a less dangerous adventure than the last. It was almost endearing how optimistic Hinata could be.

Elsewhere in the guild, optimism was in shorter supply.

Akaashi’s relief at getting Kunimi’s pardon granted quickly vanished when Suga delivered the news that the Serpents had slipped through the net. He worried for Kuroo’s state of mind; how he was processing the fact that he had been so close only for them to escape, how he was coping with the distance between them, how any of them were coping with their journey being in vain.

“…so now what? We just let them slip away into the night?” Akaashi had been grooming Raimei with Kiyoko when Suga sought him out, he had since stopped and was leaning back against the stable wall almost in despair. “We give up?”

“No, no-one’s suggesting that.” Kiyoko delicately put. “But if there’s nothing to go on…”

“We need to focus on the pardon.” Suga cut in. “We’ll still look for leads on the Blue Serpents Akaashi, we owe it to Kuroo and ourselves after they’ve been so open about attacking us. But until the others return, there’s no point in worrying about it.”

Akaashi shook his head. “And what if we’ve missed our chance? What if Tooru dies because of this?”

“Akaashi you can’t—” Kiyoko started only to be cut off by Akaashi throwing the grooming brush into a wooden bucket with a loud clatter.

“We don’t know anything about who’s trying to kill him, not really. We don’t know what they want, who they are, why they chose to work with the Serpents of all people.” Akaashi stepped out of the stable, the cool mountain air whipped around him as he started pacing in the courtyard. “And now we’ve been dragged into it because they have a score to settle with Tetsurou and because of Kunimi’s pardon — so now we’re targets trying to not only save Tooru but ourselves.” He ran his hands through his hair, tugging slightly in frustration. “And as soon as we try to get to the bottom of it all, they just vanish, and for all we know they’re already putting the plan into motion and we’re all in danger—”

Kiyoko gently took hold of Akaashi’s shoulders and made him meet her gaze. There was a clear look of concern in her eyes as Akaashi let out a shaky breath.

“Calm down.” She stated, digging her fingertips into Akaashi’s shoulders. “Getting worked up isn’t going to help.”

Akaashi’s breathing was laboured. His head was aching as he pulled away from her grasp and took a step backwards. It had been a few days since his last spell of dizziness and he had thought that not using his powers would’ve improved them.

“Fuck…” He sighed, rubbing his forehead as he turned away from both of them.

Suga and Kiyoko exchanged an uneasy glance as Akaashi’s breathing continued to be heavy and uneven. He tried to keep himself calm, knowing that he didn’t have any more of the poultice Kenma made up on hand and would have to deal with this headache the hard way.

“Akaashi?” Suga asked. “What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing.” Akaashi lied. “I’m just…tired.”

The duo exchanged another uneasy glance. Kiyoko stepped closer and placed her hand against Akaashi’s forehead, feeling the beginnings of a fever setting in. She gave Suga a worried glance as she gently took him by the shoulders again.

“Okay, then let's get you some rest.” She calmly suggested. “And Moniwa should be able to give you something for this headache.”

“What headache…” Akaashi murmured, the energy in his body felt like it was leaving him the longer he thought about their problems.

Kiyoko caught him as he fell forward, limp in her arms.

“Take him to Daichi’s quarters,” Suga immediately said. “I’ll get Moniwa.”

“Got it.” Kiyoko picked up Akaashi with ease and wasted no time in getting him inside. She passed Kindaichi in the main chamber but he saw sense not to ask any questions. Once inside the guild leader’s quarters, she carefully placed Akaashi on top of the soft furs and tested his fever again.

“…damn it Keiji.” She breathed as the fever seemed more noticeable.

The door opened, Suga ushered Moniwa inside and swiftly closed it again. The three of them remained silent as Moniwa placed the bag of healing herbs on the bed, he checked the fever and clicked his teeth.

“…tell me what happened.” He murmured.

Suga sighed heavily. “He was freaking out about us losing track of the Serpents, started talking about how this could end badly for everyone, he seemed to get really woozy.”

Moniwa nodded. “He’s a mage, correct?”

“Yeah…not like Hinata though—”

“Empath, yeah I know.” Moniwa smiled slightly. “Kenma was telling me about his powers, how he’s good for Kuroo in that regard.”

The bag was opened, various bottles and vials were wedged amongst the bandages and herbs, rolled up parchment with hastily written recipes and instructions further padded the bag out. Moniwa rummaged around until he found the vial he needed.

“Kenma also mentioned something else,” Moniwa’s tone shifted to a more serious one as he held up the bright pink liquid. “Akaashi’s powers have been developing, strange things can start happening when powers develop.”

“How so?” Kiyoko asked.

Moniwa shook his head. “I don’t know the full extent, only that his last job with Yaku involved imprinting a lot of traumatic images…and such a thing can unhinge the mage.”

Suga rubbed his chin in thought. “Do you think the added stress of the message from Kitamine sent him over the edge?”

“Possibly. It might be more than that.” Moniwa uncorked the bottle. “He needs to drink this first, and then we need to keep him calm.”

“For how long?” Kiyoko asked, moving to help prop Akaashi’s head up so he wouldn’t choke on the poultice.

Moniwa didn’t reply for a moment. “Well, obviously he’s worried about Kuroo, I’m not sure if that’s playing a significant part in this, but it would help to reunite them soon.”

“…okay.” Suga sighed. “Well, I guess we need to be a bit assertive with how quickly we do that.”

“Yes, I don’t know how much more of this poultice Kenma has stored away, it seems to be the only thing that’ll ease his headaches. And that’s just the symptoms I’m aware of.”

Kiyoko watched as he slowly poured the mixture between Akaashi’s lips. “Dare I ask what other symptoms there are?”

The subtle shake of the head was all they got in response as Moniwa watched Akaashi’s sleeping form for a few moments.

“He needs rest. Don’t let him leave this room, no matter what. Not until I’ve located or made up more of this.” Moniwa waved the now empty vial in the air. “I don’t want to think about what’ll happen if he becomes truly unhinged.”

Suga nodded, watching Moniwa hastily pack up the bag and leave to attend to the newest matter at hand. He exchanged a glance with Kiyoko for a few moments, weighing up the possibilities in his mind.

“…you go and check on the others. Make sure they eat properly and have everything packed.” He ordered. “I’ll stay here with Keiji.”

“Are you sure?” Kiyoko asked, standing up from the bed.

“Yes, I may not be able to comfort him with powers, or have the same effect as Kuroo, but I’d be more useful here right now then out there.”

Kiyoko nodded. “Okay, I’ll bring you some food in a while, for both of you.”

Suga forced a smile as she left, taking up her spot on the bed next to the resting form of Akaashi. He looked paler than usual, brows furrowed as his breathing was finally steady. Suga sighed heavily, taking Akaashi’s hand in his.

“It’s okay.” He breathed, remembering the time Akaashi spooked himself awake after a night terror when they were on the road. He didn’t remember what Akaashi had said he dreamt about, but he did remember that it left him rattled for a few nights afterwards, it also happened to coincide with him and Kuroo having a fight.

With the royal decree going to be handed to them the next day, Suga was mindful that a very delicate balancing act was going to have to be orchestrated to keep everyone level-headed and in one piece.

He was really starting to miss Daichi.

* * *

 

“You’re not serious?” Yaku asked, flat out ignoring the overjoyed gasps from Bokuto and Kuroo. “We’re not really doing that…right?”

“Unless you have a faster way of getting to the eastern region…” Daichi replied with a small chuckle. “I’ve sent the crow already so we might as well.”

Yaku sighed, resigning himself to the situation. “Sure, why not, where’s the nearest port?”

Bokuto and Kuroo had been playing cards in the tavern when Daichi returned from the rookery with Kenma - and the cat - in tow. Upon explaining the current plan Daichi had, the two of them were very quick to remind everyone about the last boat shenanigans.

“I mean,” Tanaka took a generous sip from his tankard. “It’ll be a nice change of pace? I’ve never been on a ship before.”

“Yes, but this isn’t a free pass to goof off.” Kenma murmured, watching their new feline friend become fascinated with the playing cards piled up on the table. “And maybe some of us don’t like boats…”

Bokuto raised an eyebrow as he placed down a card and watched Kuroo’s poker face falter slightly. “In any case, we asked around about a second hideout and no-one’s giving anything away.”

Yaku waved a hand dismissively as Kuroo glared at the cards in his hand. “We got all we could, and it’s pretty obvious that for now the Serpents are underground. Right now we should just rejoin the others and see what kind of bullshit they’ve agreed to do for Kunimi’s pardon.”

Daichi nodded. “I’ll check for a reply in the morning, I guess for now we should just try and relax? We’ve been on the go for a few days now, it’ll be good to rest.”

Kuroo’s concentration snapped as he slammed a card down on the pile with a grin. “Ha!” He declared. “I win.”

Bokuto peered at the card for a split second, then met Kuroo’s gaze. “You cheating piece of shit.”

“Me? Cheating?” Kuroo’s grin didn’t fade as Bokuto let out a loud laugh and slammed his hand of cards down.

“Yes _you_.” He pointed across the table.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tanaka snorted into his tankard as Bokuto vaulted over the table and proceeded to put Kuroo into a headlock. Other patrons in the tavern gave the group a few raised eyebrows but no intervention as both Kuroo and Bokuto fell into fits of laughter.

“You were saying about relaxing?” Yaku remarked to Daichi.

Daichi shrugged, raising his tankard to his lips. “It is what it is…as long as no-one dies, it’ll be fine.”

Yaku snorted as Daichi took a long sip of ale.


	16. Akaashi's Vice

**XV**

**Akaashi's Vice**

 

There was a feeling of damp in the air, the smell of salt was rife, only to be contested by the stench of dead fish. The side-to-side motion of the ship made his stomach turn. He was from a family of shipbuilders and sailors, he shouldn’t be getting seasick of all things. The walls of the tiny quarters he had woken up in felt too close together like they were closing in on him. The thin beam of light coming through the window did little to illuminate the room, leaving him half in darkness in this almost foreign place. Amongst the tale-tell sounds of a ship being tossed about on the turbulent waves, there was something else, something that wasn’t supposed to be there.

A low hiss came from behind him. He knew there weren’t many things on a sail ship that would make that kind of hiss, especially below deck.

He swallowed, listening to the creaking wood, the roaring waves and howling winds. The hiss was subtle, barely noticeable if one didn’t know it wasn’t supposed to be there. He dared to turn around, finding that making any movement was difficult, almost like he was submerged in the ocean itself. Everything shifted in slow motion until his gaze fixed on them; the yellow slit-eyes staring back at him from the dark corner of the room.

He remained rooted to the spot, staring into the unblinking eyes, transfixed on their stillness. Another hiss accompanied the eyes moving. Scales were caught in the silvery light of the outside world; the head was almost white but the colour darkened into a deep shade of blue as the serpent slithered towards him.

He couldn’t move. He could hear his pulse in his ears as it showed no intent on slowing its advance towards him. His stomach was churning as it halted abruptly, head rising from the wooden floor. Its jaw opened; pearly white fangs bore themselves to him as a louder hiss ripped through the air at him.

There was no escape as he willed his legs to move and they refused. He let out a weak sob as the serpent sprung forward.

“Wake up.” The loud but calm voice abruptly tugged him from the horrific scenario.

He blinked, the smell of salt and dead fish was gone, as were the sounds of the ocean. The roof of the guild greeted him, what he could see of it anyway in the flickering candlelight.

Suga’s gentle hand pressing against his forehead further grounded him.“Welcome back.”

“Suga…” Akaashi whispered. “What…what happened?”

Suga shook his head. “I’ll explain once you’ve stopped sweating out your fever.”

Fever. The word rattled around in Akaashi’s head as he scrambled to remember how he ended up in the guild leader quarters. He felt warm, wrapped up in the furs that lined the bed, a dizziness made itself known as he glanced around and the room spun slightly.

“What…is it night?” Akaashi asked as he searched Suga’s expression for concern.

“Just after supper, yeah.” Suga didn’t seem bothered by the turn of events. “Your fever seems to have broken though.”

Akaashi nodded slightly, now trying to unpick whatever nightmare he had just experienced. Suga’s calm expression convinced him to recall it, knowing the other was curious but also not going to assume it really meant anything.

“Moniwa said that you spoke to Kenma about your powers developing.” Suga chose his words carefully. “Do you think they’ve played a part in this?”

There was a pause. Akaashi felt a wave of guilt wash over him over not telling anyone but the alchemist about it, yet Suga simply seemed concerned, not like he was about to give a lecture on loyalty.

“Maybe, who knows.” Akaashi shrugged lightly.

Suga pulled his hand away and sat back a little. The calm expression was still evident but he knew Suga far too well to believe he was getting off the hook that easily. The two always had this unspoken understanding, being close to the two guild leaders, they were often the voices of reason in times of struggle. Suga was more vocal about it, calling Daichi and Kuroo out in equal measure whereas Akaashi preferred to do things behind closed doors, and mainly with Kuroo.

However that did sometimes mean they put those they care for above their own needs, and sometimes that ended badly.

“Keiji,” Suga’s tone changed to his more serious, interrogative one like he just caught someone stealing freshly made bread from the kitchen. “what did you tell Kenma in regards to your powers?”

Akaashi averted his gaze. Whilst the fever had broken, he still felt tired and dizzy. He didn’t want to divulge his entire thought process over the past few months. It was bad enough explaining it to Kenma; someone who didn’t pry anymore than was necessary, Suga wouldn’t let him slip away with a shrug.

In a way, he knew this was going to happen sooner or later, he just didn’t intend for a dizzy spell to cause it. He didn’t want to carry this weight around by himself any longer, but saying the words out loud was a lot harder than he gave the others credit for. The night on the jetty in Kōshi came to mind, how Kuroo shakily confessed how bad the situation with the Serpents was, what he had to do to survive. Then the meeting with Kunimi recalling how he was accused of treason, how he had sensed the inner turmoil of the other as he spat out the words one after another. The fear of being judged by those he had called family for two summers had threatened to boil over in the young boy but Akaashi had kept a lid on it that day.

Hearing others coming clean about their burdens had made him think about how secretive he was being, how he still held back on using his powers, how he didn’t like disclosing what he was really capable of. He felt wrong for not telling them. Despite all the ‘you don’t have to tell others if you don’t want to’ mantras that were thrown around, he felt he had almost disregarded their friendship by not being open enough.

“…it’s not easy to explain.” He breathed, gaze fixed on his hands in his lap. “I only told Kenma the physical ailments, he pieced the rest together himself probably.”

Suga nodded, shifting slightly on the bed as he reached out and took Akaashi’s hands in his. “Okay, well I’m not going anywhere” he squeezed Akaashi’s hands. “start with the physical ailments.”

“Headaches mostly.” Akaashi murmured. “Dizzy spells too. At first they just came and went quickly, I didn’t think anything of them. But…”

He inhaled deeply.

“I get nightmares, you and I know that, but they’ve been getting worse.” He squeezed Suga’s hands. “I wake up in the middle of the night sweating, images of death flashing through my mind. Not necessarily my death, or anyone’s really, just death all around me. It’s a miracle I’ve not woken Tetsurou up with them yet.”

“Dreaming of death?” Suga clarified.

“Yeah, some are more gruesome than others.” Akaashi met Suga’s gaze, swallowing as he thought about all the lives he saw end in his unconscious state. “I…I needed to do something with them. I started recalling them when on jobs.”

“Recalling them…why?” The flicker of confusion clear on his face as Akaashi chewed on his lip.

Akaashi opened his mouth to reply, thinking twice about his word choice. “…they were good at getting people to talk.”

It took Suga a second to figure out what Akaashi was implying. “You, you’ve been imprinting your nightmares into people’s minds?”

Akaashi nodded slightly, averting his gaze again. “At first it was just to see if I could do it. There’s a lot about empath mages that people don’t know about, we don’t get taught what we’re truly capable of.”

“So you have to figure it out yourselves.” Suga supplied.

“Mhm.” Akaashi nodded. “It’s horrible. I look at Hinata and I find myself envious of him, the fact he can call upon Nishinoya to teach him exactly how to use his elements, what’s effective to use in combat, what he should and shouldn’t do.”

“But you can’t do that because no-one—”

“Empaths are invisible.” Akaashi uttered. “Our powers are only used for ill-will, I just admitted that I’ve used mine for torturing our victims. Sometimes they’re useful like when the guild was attacked and I sensed Kuroo’s fear…but most of the time you only hear about them being used for wrongdoings. So any smart mage with these powers goes underground, they deny having them, they avoid telling anyone that they’re capable of doing such impressive things.”

Suga nodded, he couldn’t understand exactly how Akaashi felt. He couldn’t begin to imagine what it had been like for Akaashi to leave everyone he loved because he could read minds, because he could sense emotions, because he was different.

He squeezed Akaashi’s hands. “You’re not invisible.” Suga said calmly. “And your powers aren’t your identity. You are more than your ability to read minds.”

Akaashi shook his head, pulling his hands from Suga’s and covering his face. Suga smiled slightly and pulled him into a hug, stroking his hair as he let out ragged breaths.

“Sure, you’re capable of many things; reading minds, sensing emotions, easing the suffering of those around you. But they are not all you are, you are also a person Keiji.” Suga listed off as Akaashi’s ragged breaths continued. “You are more than your powers, you are your actions and your intentions. You’re one of the ones I call brother, don’t you forget that.”

Akaashi sniffed loudly, hugging Suga tightly.

“Use your powers how you see fit, you know them better than any of us so who are we to tell you what to do with them?” Suga whispered. “You don’t have to fear prejudice here.”

Akaashi nodded against his shoulder, steadying his ragged breathing. It felt good to let go of it all, to finally tell someone what had haunted him since he left home. He had no doubts that Kuroo would’ve said exactly what Suga had but Akaashi was painfully aware that Kuroo carried his own demons with him.

Demons that weren’t so easily exorcised.

“Are you hungry? You and I both missed supper.” Suga asked as he gently pulled Akaashi back and held his face gently. “We’re leaving early tomorrow remember, and I need everyone at their best.”

Akaashi nodded. “Supper sounds good.” He smiled as Suga wiped his tears away with a swipe of his thumb.

“I’ll fetch us some, and I’ll see if Moniwa has some more of that poultice for your headache.”

As Suga shifted to leave, Akaashi caught his arm and summoned his attention. “Uhm…this is gonna sound stupid probably but, would it be okay if I slept here tonight?”

“Sure.” Suga placed his hand over Akaashi’s. “Do you want me to stay here with you?”

“…yeah.”

The words didn’t need to be spoken; it was understood that Akaashi needed emotional support in any form Suga could give him. Moniwa’s blunt reading of the situation rang through Suga’s mind as he left the other in the quarters to seek out some much-needed food and the poultice.

The tunnels of the guild were quiet, most of the others asleep or resting in the peace. Kiyoko and Moniwa gave Suga sympathetic smiles as he retrieved the poultice on his way back to Akaashi’s side. Neither of them saw the need to ask, knowing they’d be told in due course.

No-one said leading the guild in Daichi’s absence would be easy, but if anyone was qualified to handle the responsibility, it was Suga.

 

* * *

 

The nearest port to Kitamine was barely half a day’s ride away. Once Daichi had received the response he was expecting, he rallied the party to depart as soon as possible to get there in time to board the ship. The cold air wouldn’t be missed once they were further south, but Kenma was still disgruntled about the idea of taking a ship there. They had accepted the cat into their party, given that he wasn’t leaving Kenma alone even if they tried, Kuroo and Daichi were more than okay with taking him as their mascot.

“Has anyone thought that maybe taking a cat on a ship isn’t a good idea?” Yaku asked. “Y’know, cramped spaces and the like.”

Bokuto laughed. “You clearly haven’t been on a ship, they’re full of rats and having a cat on board is a blessing really.”

“Yes but he isn’t a ship cat, he’s a wild…thing.” Yaku gestured to the cat. The feline in question was perched on top of Amaya’s saddle; ears perked up and eyes wide as he took in the newer surroundings from his vantage point.

“Still a mouser.” Tanaka cut in unhelpfully.

Kenma tuned out of the conversation as he had to duck under tree branches. The trail veered left and abruptly downhill as the sounds of the ocean filtered through the trees. Waves crashed against the rocks, the cove the port resided in was protected from the worst of the churning sea, but the water was choppy nonetheless. The smell of salt was strong in the air, sails were furled to prevent the brisk breeze ripping them, flags and cargo coverings whipped in the breeze and were only drowned out by the creaking of the ship hulls.  
Port hands bustled around loading and unloading carts bound for Kitamine and elsewhere. Two large ships were currently in the state of unloading their cargo and being restocked with supplies. Whilst their sails were furled, the dark green colour still showed through.

“Trading guild?” Kuroo suggested as Daichi nodded.

“Did you ever catch a glimpse at the sails that the Blue Serpent shipments came in on?”

Kuroo shook his head. “They changed all the time, I saw dark blue sails a lot but sometimes they’d be red or black. Whoever they had contact with, they could change the colours easily enough.”

The party made their way past both large vessels, avoiding the port hands who were far too interested in the task at hand than to question them. Daichi scanned the smaller boats moored in the cove, looking for a particular sigil.

“Hey, isn’t that Misaki’s ship?” Tanaka pointed to the last ship in the line; a schooner that was smaller than the other vessels but still imposing in her own right, the sails were unfurled and flapping in the breeze, sporting a darker shade of blue than the last time they saw the ship.

“Yeah, that’s our ride east.” Daichi replied.

A few disbelieving glances were passed back and forth as they led the horses to the ship. It was no galleon of the royal navy, but it would provide save and quick passage. As Daichi and Kuroo stepped onto the jetty, a loud call went up on the vessel, followed by a plank slamming down onto the jetty. The familiar face framed by dark brown hair smiled down at them as Daichi waved back in greeting.

“Took your time Sawamura.” Misaki remarked. “Was beginning to think you stood us up.”

“Well we did have to pack up two mares.” Daichi shrugged as the captain met them on the jetty and gave a firm handshake to both guild leaders.

“Ah yeah, let me get Bobata to open the cargo door for them.” She glanced at the two small horses. “We have two stalls in the hold, kinda too close to the crew quarters for comfort but my boys tend to stink regardless.”

Kenma dismounted from Yuki and coaxed the cat off Amaya’s saddle so Bokuto could take both the mares onto the ship. Glancing around, he noted the newest addition to the ship was not the sails but a large carving of a pouncing wolf on the bow.

“So is this your main ship now?” He asked as he walked past Misaki to follow the others onto the ship.

“Yeah, fastest of the fleet; The Hell-born Hound.” Misaki smiled, eyes going to the ball of fur in Kenma’s arms. “Oh, you guys got yourselves a guild pet?”

“Unfortunately.” Kenma muttered. “He’s kind of…an added extra.”

Misaki laughed. “A’ight, well we have plenty of rats on the ship, he’ll be well fed.”

Kenma grimaced slightly, walking onto the bustling ship. He could feel the water lapping at the hull, gently rocking the ship from side to side. It sent an uneasy feeling through him. He was never one for long voyages, he hadn’t been used to travelling across the realm on horseback at first, but the time he had spent with Kuroo and the others had gotten him used to it.

But he was firmly against the idea of letting his feet leave land.

“Follow me to the crew quarters,” Misaki called to the party as Yuki and Amaya were led down the ramp to the cargo hold.

They followed Misaki through a door beneath the ship’s wheel, they were immediately in a dimly lit room that served as a mess hall. Lanterns provided enough light to compliment the large window that looked out onto the port, they’d be more crucial at night. Down a narrow staircase, they were shown two small rooms with four bunks in each. The supplies both horses had been carrying had already been deposited in one of the rooms by a crewman and Misaki simply explained that there were no strict rules on her ship in regards to curfew, just to respect her crew have jobs to do and not get in the way of daily chores.

“So, once we’ve restocked our food rations, we’ll cast off and get you to the eastern side of the realm.” She declared. “Oh and feel free to explore the ship, you are our guests after all - just keep your thieving hands to yourselves and stay out of the vault.”

“Is there rum?” Tanaka asked immediately.

“You bet there is.” Misaki grinned. “Wait til we cast off and get into open water though, don’t want the port lackeys to sniff out our…unique goods.”

She turned on her heel and strode back towards the stairs that would take her to the upper deck. Kenma let out a small sigh as he let the cat jump from his arms, Tanaka declared he was going to find Bokuto and explore the ship in more detail, leaving Kuroo, Daichi and Yaku to exchange glances.

“So, what do we do whilst we travel east?” Yaku asked, watching the cat sniff the new surroundings.

Kuroo smiled. “We take it easy, and get fucking wasted.”

Yaku snorted. “I do feel like we all need a stiff drink.” He raised an eyebrow. “Just try not to fall overboard.”

“Don’t you mean go overboard?” Daichi asked.

Yaku chuckled. “No, literally, don’t fall off the ship,” he snorted “I ain’t diving in to save anyone.”

Kuroo laughed, slapping Daichi’s shoulder. “C’mon Daichi, you need to loosen up. We can’t do anything now until we get to the other end of this passage.”

Daichi sighed, glancing between Yaku and Kuroo. “I guess, shall we head to the upper deck to appreciate the view?”

The four of them made their way up to the top deck of the ship. The dark blue sails had been unfurled and secured on the mast, ready to depart at a given notice. Misaki stood at the helm, overseeing her crew pulling the plank back from the jetty, securing the hold doors and shouting orders to one another in preparation for the cast-off.

Kenma huffed as he found himself stood at the bow of the ship with Kuroo. “I don’t like boats Kuro.”

“I know you don’t.” Kuroo softly replied. “But it’s for the good of our friends that we take the fastest mode possible. Hinata probably misses you a lot right now.”

It annoyed Kenma that Kuroo was right. “Yeah…”

A hand ruffled Kenma’s hair as the ship lurched slightly. Waves lapped at the bow as the sails took to the breeze, pushing the vessel towards the open water.

“It’ll be a bit choppy until we hit the ocean.” Kuroo remarked. “You wanna go below deck?”

Kenma shook his head. “I’d rather be able to get the fresh air.”

Bokuto and Tanaka scampered up to join them at the bow, both of them were in high spirits at being on a ship and were set on making an adventure out of it. Once out in the open water, Misaki handed over the helm to a crewman and declared that the much-anticipated rum drinking could begin. She noted Kenma’s slightly pale complexion and ushered him into the cabin. The rest of the party were quick to sample the pirate guild’s prized rum, but Misaki handed a different tankard to Kenma.

“This’ll help your stomach.” She told him. “It’s not strong enough to get you drunk, but it’ll settle you.”

Kenma nodded, accepting the tankard and taking a cautious sip. It was sweeter than any other ale he had partaken in, it smelt fruity and tasted strangely pleasant. Within a few more sips he already started feeling a little better.

The others however, were drinking the usual ales and rum that stank to high heavens and got them drunk quickly. Tanaka and Bokuto were the first to get beyond the point of merriness, knocking back tankard after tankard.

Daichi held onto his composure a little more, aware that he was all that stood between some his brothers and the ocean. Kuroo and Yaku were comfortably buzzing as some of Misaki’s crew-mates filtered in and out of the cabin. One particular crewman adorned with colourful tattoos sat down with them for a while, exchanging stories of thieving and gambling with Tanaka and Kuroo.

The conversation quickly turned to the impressive inked designs on the man’s arms; swirling sea monsters, a ship caught on a tidal wave, several names that he’d list off as siblings, old friends, his great aunt who taught him how to kill a man.

“Where’d you get them?” Bokuto asked, poking the head of a giant squid inked on his wrist.

“Where? Here of course!” The other laughed heartily, downing his tankard of ale before continuing. “We have a guy who can do ‘em, real quick and good.”

“Oh?” Bokuto’s wide eyes said it all.

“Oh god please don’t tell me—” Yaku was still sober enough to know Bokuto was about to suggest something stupid.

“There’s a condition.” Their new found friend stated. “You gotta be drunk off your ass before he comes anywhere near you with a needle.”

“Why?” Tanaka asked, pouting slightly at the idea that the guy was stingy about his clientele.

“Cause, some whelps can’t stand the pain. You gotta be drunk so it hurts less.” The crewman shrugged. “So, you tell him what you want when you’re sober, come back a few hours later after drinking all the rum you can and he’ll ink you up.”

Kenma snorted into his less alcoholic drink. He could tell Bokuto was sold on the idea already, Tanaka and Kuroo seemed interested too. He counted them lucky that the tattoo artist seemed adamant that they talk to him when sober.

“Say, we should design a guild-mark.” Bokuto slurred, looking to Daichi. “Whaddya say Dai? A silver owl will look badass!”

Daichi laughed. “Bo, are you sure you’d want an owl?”

“Yeah why not a fierce wolf or dragon?” Tanaka asked, slamming his tankard down.

“An owl is the guild’s symbol!” Bokuto pointed out. “So I want an owl, ‘cause you guys are my bros, and I wanna get a tattoo to symbolise my bros…”

“You wanna get matching ones Bo?” Kuroo grinned.

“Hell yeah!”

“Keiji is gonna flip out…” Yaku remarked with a snort.

“He’ll love it! Hey, get his name inked too—” Bokuto continued.

The crewman shook his head as he chuckled and stood up to get back to his duties. Daichi and Yaku exchanged a glance, they were going to be at sea for several days like this. Boy was it going to be a story to tell the others.


	17. Forming Alliances

 

**XVI**

**Forming Alliances**

 

With both horses prepared for the journey east, the remnants of the guild packed up, locked up and headed to Tanishiti. Akaashi had slept soundly in the same bed as Suga, the nightmares held at bay by the poultice Moniwa managed to concoct quickly. There was a strong breeze as the overcast sky made the day feel greyer, the dark clouds promised rain.

There was a sense of optimism in the party as the capital came into sight.

The gates of the city were open, town folk bustled back and forth like usual. They expected to make their way to the palace as common folk, unnoticed by the masses. However, it seemed the king had other ideas.

“Kunimi.” The voice spooked them at first until they recognised the knight striding toward them, crowds parting as Yamamoto followed directly behind him. “We’ll be escorting your party to his majesty,” Iwaizumi explained with a small smile. “Just to ensure that any travelling bounty hunters don’t intervene.”

Kunimi nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief. No-one objected as Yamamoto let them walk in front of him, directly behind Iwaizumi. Hinata was in awe at the two knights; how they held themselves as they walked, how barely anything seemed to bother them, how they commanded respect without uttering a word. He ignored the hushed whispers of the crowds as they walked to the palace, there was only one thing on his mind as the gates to the courtyard beckoned;

He was about to meet the king of the realm.

There were stories passed down his village elders about the royals; stories of valour, pride, loyalty. The great battles that shaped the land and the people that live there. How each House had their own ideals, their agendas that both hindered and helped their charges. There were many names that had faded into the passage of time, to not be uttered for their deeds remain unforgivable.

Hinata was intrigued to see how the latest royal on the throne was going to present himself. He himself may be just a boy from a no-name village, but since leaving home he had seen and heard so much to make him curious about the world. A world that he was able to now explore beyond his previous expectations.

Their horses were taken by a stable hand, the party ushered towards the large doors of the impressive palace. Hinata felt dwarfed by the high ceiling of the room as they walked into the long hallway, large tapestries and paintings hung on the wall, light blue banners bearing the familiar red phoenix were intermittently spaced between each piece of art. Each painting bore a different person, a different king or queen, a different lord or lady, valiant knights and scholars all depicted as heroes by the artist.

“So cool!” Hinata gasped as they paused momentarily at a painting, the man depicted in the ornate frame stood proudly behind a desk, golden crown on his neatly combed dark brown hair. He wore bright white robes, brass buttons polished to perfection, not a crease or wrinkle in sight even in the cape that was draped over one shoulder.

“Oh, that’s his Majesty's late father.” Iwaizumi smiled, “we’ll be commissioning a portrait of King Tooru soon enough, once things have calmed a little.”

“They look so similar,” Kiyoko remarked. “I remember him quite well.”

Iwaizumi nodded. “Indeed, but his majesty is a lot different to his father in the way he goes about his business. I’m sure you’re all very familiar with that.”

There was a shared nod as they continued down the hallway. The doors at the end slowly opened as Iwaizumi barked an order to the guard protecting it, the lower-ranking male saluted before striking the floor three times with his staff to signal their arrival. The bright throne room opened up to them, Iwaizumi strode forward with confidence towards his king.

“Presenting, Sir Hajime Iwaizumi, Royal Guard to the king and knight of House Oikawa, Captain Taketora Yamamoto, and the Silver Owl Brotherhood.” The court announcer declared, voice echoing off the walls.

“Welcome back.” A calm voice greeted them. Hinata’s gaze went straight to the man on the throne; young, relaxed but in control. There was a sense of experience around him despite his youth, like the golden circlet he wore had granted him memories from rulers gone by.

“Sire.” Iwaizumi bowed in greeting, prompting the rest of the party to do the same. “The Brotherhood are here.”

“I can see that.” Tooru chuckled. “Where is the scout?”

Iwaizumi cast a glance to Yamamoto who shrugged. “Uh…has he not arrived?”

“Would I have asked if he had?” Tooru raised an eyebrow. “He’s not reported in, no. Please go and find him before I give Akira his orders.”

“Of course.” Iwaizumi bowed again before turning on his heel and marching out of the throne room muttering under his breath.

“So, you are the rest of The Brotherhood that took Akira in when he fled?” Tooru asked.

Suga got the idea that he had been nominated as spokesperson when no-one else said anything. “Uh, half of it, your majesty.” He replied. “Some of our brothers are currently…elsewhere.”

Tooru nodded slightly. “Well, I’m glad.” He smiled, glancing around the group. “You obviously care a lot for him, most people tend to hand over their wanted friends without hesitation…yet you all brought him here to argue his innocence.”

“It wasn’t a matter handled lightly.” Suga smiled back, careful not to reveal too much but willing to entertain their king’s musings. “But one of our core values is to protect one another, no matter what we’ve done in our past. Once you are part of The Brotherhood, you’re part of the family, a family that will stop at nothing to keep each other safe.”

There was a pause as Tooru mulled over Suga’s statement. “I’m glad that people with such noble values exist in my kingdom.” He finally said. “I hope you all stay true to those values, there are trying times ahead for you and me both.”

The doors burst open again, Iwaizumi huffed as he led in the scout that Tooru had requested specifically for this quest. The party glanced at the figure approaching them as Iwaizumi led them toward the throne. A brown hood obscured their view of his face, but he was tall, taller than Suga, and there was a sense of pride in how he strode forward with confidence.

“Ah, you’re here.” Tooru remarked as the hooded figure bowed in greeting.

“Sorry for the lateness your majesty.” He spoke softly, but there was an edge to his voice as he slipped the hood off. Bright blond hair was revealed, tussled by the hood but short enough for it to seem deliberately styled. Eyeglasses perched on the bridge of his nose, they were adjusted as he straightened up to his full height once more and smiled at Tooru. “I was caught up in a bit of town gossip.”

Tooru snorted. “You mean someone asked you to charm their cow to produce more milk or something of the sort?”

“In essence, yes. The old woman wouldn’t let me leave even though I told her that I was needed here for your bidding.”

Iwaizumi sighed, stepping up beside the throne and taking his place at the king’s side. “Anyway, you have The Brotherhood, and now the scout sire.”

“Quite, thank-you Iwaizumi.” Tooru smiled, bringing his hands together in front of his chest, fingertips pressing against each other mimicking a roof steeple as regarded the group. “So, this is a trusted scout of mine who’ll be joining you all on your journey.”

Suga nodded in greeting to the other, not sure what to make of him in the moment. “Nice to meet you.”

The scout met Suga’s gaze and nodded slightly. “You must be the Silver Owl Brotherhood.” He glanced over the party, eyes lingering on Hinata and Nishinoya. “A mixture of characters.”

“What’s what supposed to mean?” Nishinoya challenged.

Tooru cleared his throat. “This is Kei Tsukishima. He’s a mage who’s been an honoured guest in the court for the past two summers.” He explained. “I thought that he would be less noticeable and more suited to your cause than a soldier or knight recruit.”

Hinata didn’t like the feeling in his stomach as he met Tsukishima’s gaze. There was an uneasiness in the air and he was sure Nishinoya felt the same given his reaction. It was like they had met before.

“It’ll be a nice change of pace from the city-living I’ve grown accustomed to.” Tsukishima added. “I’ve wanted to go eastwards for a while now.”

“Exactly.” Tooru nodded, waving his hand in a gesture. Iwaizumi nodded in response and looked towards one of the doorways that led away from the throne room. A well-dressed male approached, short brown hair combed neatly and barely paying any of the court’s guests mind as he handed Iwaizumi a letter. The knight nodded in thanks, dismissing him before handing the letter to Tooru. “This Akira, is your free pass. It’s a letter dictating that you are now working for me and that any bounties are suspended whilst you’re en route to Tobu Misaki-Mura. This is to be produced at any point someone tries to arrest you and it will absolve you as it bears the royal seal.”

“Understood.” Kunimi nodded.

“So, on to the terms of this quest.” Tooru stood from his throne, his serious nature returning as his smile faded. “You are to go to Tobu Misaki-Mura - the former capital of the kingdom of House Kageyama - and investigate the claims of the heir being alive. If the claims are false but you find bandits or other undesirable folk living there, you have my permission to get rid of them however your Brotherhood seems fit before returning here for your pardon. If, however, the claims are true and…the heir is alive. Return here immediately and I will deal with the situation.”

“And we’re taking Tsukishima to make sure we don’t deviate from your orders?” Kunimi asked.

“Yes. It’s one of the conditions that my war council insisted upon. I cannot just pardon you on your word alone, I must send someone the council trusts to verify you uphold the terms of our agreement.”

Suga let out a small sigh of relief as Kunimi nodded and accepted the letter without a fuss.

“One other thing,” Tooru said “if the castle is empty as I believe it is, try to find the crown jewels. My father’s forces were unable to secure them due to a volcano eruption so the land remains in dispute without them. This is what’s given credit to those rumours that the heir is alive. Bring me back the jewels and you will be rewarded handsomely.”

“Sift through the ashes and find a shiny thing. Sure.” Kunimi smiled, getting away with talking so flippantly to the king was something he was enjoying far too much. He was about to step back when he remembered the promise that was made yesterday. “So…about my mother.”

Tooru nodded. “Of course, Iwaizumi can fetch her now for you.”

Kunimi glanced at the guild, he didn’t really want all of them there whilst he reunited with his mother. “Uh, do you guys wanna go to the tavern or something?”

Suga nodded. “Say no more, we’ll be at the Lethal Lantern when you’re ready.”

He smiled and nodded, watching them leave. Kindaichi chose to stay, a gesture that Kunimi appreciated as he waited nervously to see his mother. He wondered how she’d react to his new life, to his line of work, to his decision to come back to the palace after all this time. Kindaichi ruffled his hair, bringing him out of the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him.

Footsteps approaching made him look up, Iwaizumi stepped aside to reveal the middle-aged woman. For a palace servant, she was dressed well; the figure fitting dress accompanied by an off-white apron. Her long black hair was tied up in a messy bun but defiant strands framed her face.

She was everything Kunimi remembered. As her eyes met his, a brief flicker of confusion crossed her features before a relieved smile broke out.

“Akira…you’re alive?” She whispered as he stepped forward to meet her. Her hands cupped his face, smoothing back his own messy hair from his eyes. “Oh gods I thought—”

“I know.” He breathed, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her shoulder. “I know.”

Kindaichi couldn’t stop himself smiling as he watched the two embrace. Kunimi didn’t say much at first, simply letting his mother fuss over him, commenting on how much he had grown, his clothing choice, the obvious appearance of weapons and so on. The questions tumbling out from her lips faster than he could answer them.

“Where have you been all this time? How did you survive?”

Kunimi laughed weakly. “Mom…I’m sorry I never wrote.” He held her hands tightly in his. “I just, it all happened too quickly and I didn’t know what to do.”

“What have you been doing all this time?” She asked again. “You were just a serving boy, you didn’t have any…” she gestured to his sheathed daggers “no-one taught you how to use _those_ here.”

He couldn’t tell her he killed for a living. Kunimi couldn’t do that to her. He shook his head slightly. “I did what I had to, I found some people who didn’t ask any questions. They…they accepted me into their guild.” He smiled, squeezing her hands. “We’re mercenaries mainly, but we’re like a family.”

His mother seemed to accept it, nodding slowly and pressing her forehead against his. “I’m glad. I always thought you’d…that you weren’t coming back.”

“I know, and I’m sorry it took so long.” He sighed. “I’m sorry mom.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay Akira. Now you’ve got to go and do the king’s bidding. Go and do what you must and come back to me.”

Kunimi swallowed. “Yeah, yeah…we’re going east for a while but I’ll come back. I’ll come back and properly explain it all, I promise.”

With another tight hug, Kunimi watched his mother leave, hastily wiping the tears that threatened to fall. He hadn’t expected it to be that quick, or that heavy going on his mind. Tooru raised an eyebrow but smiled as Kunimi recomposed himself.

“She’s been worried about you for some time.” He spoke quietly. “When you left in a hurry, my father wanted to banish her but I wouldn’t allow it. Iwaizumi and I kept her safe from my father’s wrath.”

Kunimi nodded, not quite sure if he believed how sincere Tooru was being. “Well, uh, thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Tooru nodded. “Now, you have a task to fulfil Akira. I trust you won’t disappoint me.”

“Of course.” Kunimi bowed belatedly before grabbing Kindaichi’s hand and setting off to find the others.

They were allowed into the tavern with little fuss and found the others crowded around a table in the corner of the room. A map was unfurled on the tabletop, corners weighed down by tankards and an unlit candle serving as a pointer by Moniwa as they had begun thinking about possible routes to the border and beyond. A few small smiles were directed at Kunimi before the throws of the conversation drew them into the more important task at hand.

“Tell me we’re taking the easy road.” Nishinoya said, running his finger along the thickest of the black lines heading east. “The old trading route was literally built for this kind of trip.”

“Which is why it’ll be the one crawling with bandits.” Kiyoko softly argued. “If we travel in the open, we’re at a higher risk of coming across them and there are only three of us who’re trained in close combat.”

Moniwa pointed to a second inked line east, weaving in and out of mountains and small valleys. “The northern pass would be more secluded, but I’d say it would also be riskier.”

“Don’t the locals call it the ‘slightly dubious pass’ for a reason?” Kunimi snorted, glancing at Nishinoya.

“Why?” Hinata asked, also turning his gaze to Nishinoya.

Nishinoya smirked slightly. “It’s got a lot of unmarked caves, mines and…things not unlike the White Marshes. People avoid it if possible because of the rumours. It’s actually near the place Ryuu and I fell into a nest of giant spiders looking for a supposedly haunted shack—”

“No more haunted places. Not after the last time we ended up in one.” Kindaichi firmly stated.

“May I suggest something?” Tsukishima spoke up for the first time. Suga and Moniwa nodded for him to continue. “You’re assassins, that much is clear, and you have two elemental mages at your disposal.”

“How did you know we’re assassins?” Akaashi asked, meeting Tsukishima gaze. He wasn’t actively trying to read the other’s thoughts, but he could still feel a resistance nonetheless, a solid barrier preventing even an inkling of a thought passing through.

“Well not many people I know have blood spatter on their maps.” Tsukishima smiled slightly. “Or carry swords sheathed in their belts.”

Akaashi narrowed his eyes. “Very well. So what exactly are you suggesting?”

Tsukishima straightened his posture, leaning his elbows on the table as his gaze flickered down to the map. “Well, why are you afraid to encounter unsavoury folk hm? Surely a kill or two here and there isn’t against your code?”

Kiyoko snorted. “We do not just kill whoever we come across, we do have principles.”

“Principles like gold? I’m sure we can loot their bodies.” Tsukishima uttered. “At the end of the day, a bandit is a criminal just like you all, now wouldn’t you agree that it’s a matter of ‘survival of the fittest’ out there?”

“It is.” Nishinoya replied. “But those same bandits are just trying to support their families the only way they know how.”

“Much like most of your victims?” Tsukishima challenged. “Or does that not matter when someone else is willing to set the mark?”

Suga cleared his throat. “Oh-kay. Let’s leave the discussion about morals for another time.” He carefully put, he didn’t know what Tsukishima was trying to achieve my riling up the others, but it wasn’t going to end well if it continued. “I will say, Tsukishima has a point, why are we reluctant to take the easier road? Kunimi’s got his pardon, and if anyone does decide to interfere then we’re not above eliminating the problem.”

The party seemed to accept Suga’s more pragmatic point, nodding in agreement, some more reluctantly than others. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow as Suga continued laying out a specific route that would take them east from Tanishiti and along the old trading road to the border. There was no obvious gateway between the kingdoms, at least none marked on Moniwa’s map and there was no telling if the settlements marked still existed or not. Nevertheless, Suga selected a smaller village just before the border as the ideal meeting point.

“This is where we’ll wait for Daichi and the others.” He stated, pointing at the marker with the end of the candle. “Misaki’s ship will be able to drop them off at this coastal town just under a day’s ride away.”

“Who’s Daichi?” Tsukishima asked.

“He’s our guild leader.” Kindaichi replied. “He and the rest of the guild are away dealing with—”

“Other business.” Akaashi finished. “They told us to tell them what the king agreed to and that they’d be able to meet us near the border.”

The scout raised an eyebrow again. “So your entire Brotherhood is going to be involved? Interesting.”

“How so?” Nishinoya drummed his fingers on the table.

Tsukishima shrugged. “No reason, just struck me as odd to have such a large party.”

“It’s how The Brotherhood functions best.” Akaashi bluntly stated. “And whilst you may be the king’s scout, you are travelling with us so will abide by our rules.”

“Of course.” Tsukishima smiled directly at Akaashi, pearly white teeth showing as he did. “I’m honoured to be travelling with such interesting people.”

Hinata shared a glance with Nishinoya, it went without saying that Tsukishima had something about him that made them feel a little on edge. But regardless of what they thought, he was to travel with them for the entire journey — they were prepared to put up with the uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomachs for Kunimi’s sake.

 

* * *

 

“I feel like something stupid is about to occur.” Kenma breathed.

The rhythmic swaying of the ship was almost normal now, he still felt woozy whenever the waves were choppy but he was getting on better than he had hoped. It was their second day at sea, the land had faded from sight quickly and now all he could see outside the window of the cabin was the ocean. It had come as no surprise to anyone that Bokuto, Kuroo and Tanaka set their sights on drinking for most of the trip. The excuse of ‘there’s nothing else to do’ had been tossed around whenever it was questioned and Kenma had stopped trying to stop them at this stage.

He had spent most of the time in the cabin or on the main deck, the cat always at his heels wherever he chose to wander. The ship felt too small in a way, too crowded, too loud. He ached to be home with the smell of books surrounding him and the subtle bubbling of potions to fill the silence.

“What do you think?” He asked aloud, looking down at the bundle of fur curled up in his lap. “It’s been a while since one of them burst in here.”

Green eyes peered up at him in mild curiosity, the cat was still without a name, being referred to in many other forms for now. Kenma had somewhat been nominated as the owner so it was ultimately down to him what to christen their new pet with. He was still undecided for the most part.

“Should we go and see if Yaku has thrown them overboard to sober up yet?” Kenma remarked, smiling as the cat chirped in response and leapt to the floor. As much as he’d hate to admit it out loud; the cat was growing on him slightly.

They ventured up the narrow staircase to the mess hall, he had been expecting an over-competitive game of cards to be the focus of all their energy. Instead, he found Bokuto shirtless, his elbow resting on the table as his bicep was being held tightly by a crewman. His free hand held a large tankard of potent whiskey, half empty but two empty bottles on the table indicated they had been at it a while.

“What’s going on?” Kenma cautiously asked Daichi.

Daichi chuckled, watching as Bokuto took an avid interest in the sharp needle being dipped in a pot of ink. “Bokuto’s getting that tattoo he was raving about.”

“Seriously?” Kenma wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be surprised anymore at Bokuto’s antics.

“Misaki’s crew were adamant he drinks straight whiskey in order to keep him…uh…docile.”

“He’s gonna scream the ship down and wake the dead,” Tanaka remarked from beside Daichi. “It’s gonna be hilarious.”

Bokuto’s attention was stolen by Kuroo asking him about the choice for design. The crewman responsible for inking people up had made it clear that Bokuto needed to be distracted and kept as calm as possible - hence the whiskey. Kuroo had been sorely tempted to get a tattoo himself, but couldn’t quite decide what to get, whereas Bokuto was set on getting an owl come hell or high water.

“I just wan’ an owl y’know?” Bokuto’s speech was a little slurred, the whiskey had flushed his cheeks bright red and he was looking at Kuroo with a wide grin plastered on his face. “They’re so cool— like they’re pretty fucking majestic but can tear a mouse to pieces in seconds.”

Kuroo nodded, casting his eyes to the hands working quickly but carefully, lightly sketching the owl design onto Bokuto’s bicep. It was going to be a long night.

“So why did we pick the owl for the guild’s sigil again? I forget.” Kuroo pressed. “And why the colour scheme too?”

Bokuto took another long gulp of whiskey, grimacing as the aftertaste kicked in. “Well—” He hiccupped. “The owl was because most of your dealings we at nigh’. Y’know in the dark and shit. You were like the silent hunter in the shadows.”

Kuroo shook his head as he chuckled. “Sure, we’ll go with that.”

“And the colours, the red is obvious, that’s for the blood spilt, black is for the shadows we hide in waiting for the target to reveal themselves.” Bokuto listed off with ease, flinching slightly as the scratching of the needle began. “And silver, well silver is like…the silver lining that this guild is considering all the shit some of us have been through.”

Kuroo nodded. “Yeah, all the shit.” He repeated.

Bokuto grinned back. “Bro, you’ve been through some shit…the guild has been through some shit. But y’know what?”

“What?”

Bokuto slammed his empty tankard down after draining it. “There’s not a god damn thing that would make me leave.”

Kuroo laughed. “You’re so drunk.”

From the other side of the room, Daichi and Yaku chuckled at the exchange. Bokuto fiercely denied that the drink had anything to do with his feelings, only to be interrupted by a hiss of pain as the real inking process got underway. Tanaka and Kuroo found a pack of cards and decided that playing a few rounds would be a good attempt at distraction.

“This is gonna get loud…” Daichi sighed as Bokuto demanded more whiskey. “Do you wanna walk the deck whilst the weather is calm?”

Yaku and Kenma nodded, as much as watching Bokuto suffer from his own poor life choices would be amusing, they valued their hearing. The ocean was calm as they stepped out into the dusk, the sails flapping in the breeze that propelled the ship forward. Misaki’s first mate was at the helm as the captain herself stood at the bow, her gaze was unyielding on the horizon as the last few traces of daylight were fading.

“Something on your mind?” Daichi asked as he stepped up beside her.

At first she seemed to ignore him before sighing heavily. Glancing at Daichi, her expression was troubled. “Do you know how we gain the information that we send to your people?”

Daichi shook his head. He just knew the crows arrived and left with notes attached to them, how the information reached Misaki in the first place was beyond him. How the crows knew to fly over the ocean in search of the ship was just one of the many things he decided he was better off not knowing.

“We have crew members on other ships and in taverns across this part of the realm and the next, each of them sworn into our guild’s service. They overhear things, accidentally come across letters on desks, witness things. They write to Yuji and I and we pass the information along to interested parties — you guys being one of them.”

“Oh.” Daichi hadn’t considered the pirate guild being more than adventurers and glorified bandits. “…okay.”

Misaki smiled slightly. “It’s quite impressive, how we command loyalty, Yuji may be a party dude, but he’s very interested in the inner workings of society. He’s curious about how all the different guilds, clans and groups can share information to shift the tides of the kingdoms.” The breeze whipped around them both as she raised her eyes to the darkening sky, stars shined like candles; flickering slightly as the moonrise began.   
“Our guild’s aim is to be a carrier of information, but not like the court scouts and couriers, gods that’s boring. We like to have fun with it, gain some gold on the side, see the world whilst we’re at it…” she trailed off, turning to fully face Daichi.

“I overheard Bokuto babbling about your brotherhood’s colours…tell me Sawamura, what are your values?”

There was a moment when Daichi's gaze lingered on the horizon. The ship pressed on through the waves, barely showing any kind of resistance to the waves that hit the hull.

“To protect one another, no matter what horrors from our pasts rear their heads.” Daichi finally answered. “Some of us have had easier lives than the others, some of us are the only family for them.”

Misaki nodded. “I know of Kuroo’s past, bits and pieces. It’s hard not to.”

Daichi shot her a questioning look. “What are you getting at?”

She shook her head, beckoning him to follow her as she set off towards her cabin. He gestured for Yaku and Kenma to remain on the deck as he pursued her. They walked into the cabin adorned with treasures from trips gone by; maps lay unfurled on the table, tankards weighed the corners down. A hammock was suspended from the two main support beams, modest considering she was the captain of the ship.

Misaki stood behind the table, rummaging through a small chest of letters, notes and maps. Daichi watched as she pulled out several letters bearing different coloured seals, stamps and signatures.

“These are the letters our informants send us.” She explained, spreading them out on top of the unfurled map. “Most of the time they just tip us off to expensive shipments, but around three summers ago we got a rather peculiar tip-off.”

Daichi didn’t like the feeling in his stomach as she produced a letter and unfolded it to read aloud;

“' _To whom it may concern; one of our dumbass recruits thought our practice of acquiring workers for the mines was in poor taste and sought to destroy our shipping manifestos. Unfortunately, they succeeded in scrubbing the ship details and captain names from our records so we must now rebuild it_.’ Now correct me if I’m wrong Sawamura, but wasn’t this Kuroo’s doing?”

“It was, yes.” Daichi replied, not entirely sure how comfortable he was with how easily Misaki had pieced it together.

She nodded slowly, picking up a new letter. “This one is a call for Kuroo’s ‘arrest’ and deliverance to the head of the Blue Serpents, this was two summers ago.” She picked up another. “This is a report on chatter amongst newer recruits and what reputation Kuroo has within the group.”

Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose. “So, Kuroo’s been a topic of conversation…what does this mean to you?”

“There’s…more recent ones.” Misaki spoke quietly, reluctant to pull out the more recent letter. “When you sent me the message to gain passage, I knew I had to accept in order to warn you, all of you, that Kuroo is far from safe and by association, none of you are either.”

“What?”

She handed the letter to Daichi, the seal bore a grey wolf, he guessed it was a less flashier statement of loyalty than a yellow one. He swallowed as he slipped the letter out of the already opened envelope and read the scribbled words inked on parchment;

‘ _Misaki, things are worse than we thought._

_We believe the one Kuroo double-crossed has climbed ranks, leaving the Kitamine band to be led by one of Kuroo’s former friends. This by itself isn’t worrying, however, we intercepted a courier and found correspondents going back and forth across the northern border. This at least confirms that they have links to the Northern clans._

_They’re going to target The Brotherhood again, and they will be merciless. They have orders to eliminate him once and for all before the so-say “next part” begins. Anyone who happens to be in their way will be cut down regardless of who they are._

_Do with this information what you will. Be careful when dealing with The Brotherhood as we do not know how far the Blue Serpents will go to eliminate him. If you are caught in the middle, we could very well be their next target._

_We will await more information on this “next part” but as far as we can tell, they are keeping it firmly under wraps._

_May the moon guide you to calm waters._ ’

Daichi reread the letter before handing it back to Misaki.

“You can’t let Kuroo know.” Daichi immediately stated. “If he finds out one of his former friends is trying to kill him—”

Misaki shook her head. “I think he probably already knows, deep down, that it’s possible that the one leading the Serpents now was once a recruit like him. But now you know the stakes.” She stated. “Kuroo is by no means off the hook, as for why they didn’t stick around in Kitamine, I do not know. But it is clear to us that you need to reunite with the rest of The Brotherhood and figure out how to handle this.”

“So that’s why you pulled out the stocks to collect us?”

“Yes. Whilst we are fearful for our own safety to an extent, we despise the Serpents for their actions.” She paced over to the large window that overlooked the stern of the ship, the waters churned up by the vessel slowly slipping from view. “We don’t target kids. And we sure as hell don’t kidnap them and force them to work in mines and…brothels.”

Daichi nodded. She didn’t need to tell him twice. Even now, several days after hearing it from Kuroo the first time around, the idea made him sick to his stomach. But it also made him more determined to stand by the other as they fought this group.

“When we met in Kōshi, I wasn’t sure what to make of your mix of characters.” She remarked. “A bunch of warriors, mages and assassins all under one banner but with no intention of ruling the land. It was quite interesting. But hearing from Nishinoya and Bokuto about how you’re loyal to each other, that you ventured to the other side of the realm on a whim that you could cure a curse set by an aura mage. You risked your lives for a girl you didn’t really know but your values held fast, and now you’re standing by both Kuroo and Kunimi as their pasts come back to haunt them…that’s something special Sawamura.”

Misaki turned around, there was a spark in her eyes as she smiled.

“That something needs to be protected at all costs. A bond like the one you all share doesn’t come around often, kings and queens of years gone by have claimed to have that bond with their people but rarely does it come to fruition.”

She crossed the space between them and met Daichi’s gaze. “So, as someone who not only admires that loyalty but wants the Blue Serpents firmly out of this realm, I, on behalf of Yuji, offer you our services; as pirates, informants, warriors — you name it, we’ll be there by your side.”

“You’re…swearing allegiance to us?” Daichi clarified, caught completely off guard by all of this.

“Yep.” She firmly replied. “Yuji and I hate the Blue Serpents for everything they’ve been doing, sure we may not be much better, but we never force people from their homes, we never murder for ‘fun’, we never force people to join our cause — or manipulate them by threatening their families. We can easily drop our criminal ways and become honest working seaman, their entire clan is built upon profiting from other’s misfortunes.”

Daichi smiled. Given how alone The Brotherhood felt sometimes, having even one solid ally in This chaotic world would ease some of the pressure. Having another group to confide in, to have their back in a tight spot, to send word should the worst come to pass, would lessen the burden he felt on his shoulders.

“Very well.” Daichi nodded, holding out his hand. “The Silver Owl Brotherhood accepts.”

Misaki returned the smile and met his hand with her own in a firm handshake. “The Wolves of the Waves stand with you, no matter what.”

 


	18. Clashing Personalities

**XVII**

**Clashing Personalities**

With the route plotted, Kiyoko took point as they left Tanishiti. The sun was high in the sky as the hustle and bustle of the city gave way to the wilderness beyond. A brisk breeze rolled down from the mountains, chilling them slightly as the long road ahead stretched out in front of them.

“So, Tsukishima,” Nishinoya broke the silence between the group. “Care to share how exactly you ended up as a trusted court scout?”

Tsukishima snorted, shrugging slightly. “I made a name for myself, that’s all there is to it.”

Akaashi and Suga weren’t entirely buying it, but who were they to question the king? As far as Suga was concerned, the scout just had to accompany them to Tobu Misaki-Mura, there was nothing to say they had to be overly friendly with him.

“Uh-huh, a name how?” Nishinoya pressed. “Kunimi, you’ve never heard of him right?”

Kunimi looked Tsukishima up and down, it was true that he didn’t really know who the mage was. However, he wasn’t exactly expected to come into contact with most of the court’s scouts and mages.

“I mean, he apparently arrived around the time I left.” Kunimi shrugged. “I kinda had more pressing matters to deal with.”

Tsukishima smiled slightly. “Yes, your hasty departure caused a lot of questions to be asked.”

“I bet.” Kunimi gave Tsukishima a frosty expression. “I don’t need you to remind me about it all.”

Nishinoya brought the conversation back to Tsukishima. “Quit avoiding my question. How, great tell, does one make a name for himself in that way?”

Tsukishima brought his hood up over his head as they kept walking. The city skyline faded from view behind them, the road they walked on was well worn both with the number of people who used it in years gone by but also neglect; plants sprung up between paving stones, the walls that once bordered the entire length of the road were crumbling and missing large sections. As much as Suga had feared coming across anyone else, it was obvious that the road wasn’t used by many anymore and the winter storms had taken their toll in even the short time the path had been abandoned.

“I’m a mage,” Tsukishima eventually replied to Nishinoya’s question. “You should know as well as I do that wherever our kind goes, there are always questions and suspicions; are you dangerous, can you enchant this and that, can you talk to my dead sister and so on…”

“Psh, but like you so helpfully pointed out,” Nishinoya interrupted “I’m an elemental mage so people tend to give me a wide berth.”

“But you’re still asked to do things that are impossible for non-mages.” Tsukishima shrugged. “When was the last time that you were - even jokingly - asked to light a fire with a snap of your fingers, or call a rainstorm upon some dying crops? And those are the nice sides of your powers.”

“So what do your powers do?”

Suga wanted to tell Nishinoya to stop hassling Tsukishima, but he himself was curious what Tsukishima had done to gain favour with the royal house at such a young age. He exchanged a glance with Akaashi, the other had barely spoken to Tsukishima since meeting in the tavern. To Akaashi, it was obvious Tsukishima was a powerful empath mage, no-one else could put up such a strong resistance to his powers when he wasn’t even using them.

Tsukishima chuckled, a smirk remaining on his face as he met Nishinoya’s gaze.

“I’ll show you when we make camp. It’ll be easier.”

Many warning fires ignited in Akaashi’s mind when he heard that. He shot Tsukishima a warning look, a look that was noted by the other but not replied to. The answer seemed to suffice for Nishinoya who grunted and jogged up the convoy to talk to Hinata and Kiyoko who were leading Raimei.

Even just getting a bit of distance between himself and Tsukishima made Nishinoya feel a little less riled up. Hinata started telling him a story about the time he was allowed to go hunting with the older boys in his village. As Hinata began his very animated story-telling, Kiyoko cast her eyes forward to the road ahead.

Despite never travelling in this part of the realm, it felt oddly familiar to Kiyoko. Tall trees formed deep forests on their right, spreading up from the southern coast. With only a brief span of wild grassland between the forest and the path, the dark depths of the foliage sent chills down the spine of whoever dared to stare into them, twisted tree roots and dense bushes hiding gods only knew within them.

To their left were the mountains that stretched all the way to the northern border, narrow trails winded and twisted around the hills and mountains, the snow-capped peaks barely any different to those to the west. Between the two unforgiving regions was the old trading route they were following; the carved out path that once linked the kingdoms and allowed safe, flat passage between them. Given the two full years that had passed since the kingdom of Kageyama fell quiet, the path had been used less and less and it showed in the way the walls became more sporadic in placement and sometimes gone entirely only to be replaced by wild shrubbery and piles of stone.

With two unforgiving terrains on either side of them and an unknown region ahead, Kiyoko steeled herself for whatever they were literally going to be walking into.

“And so that’s why I’m not allowed to have a bow.” Hinata finished, Nishinoya was caught somewhere between hysterical laughter and horror.

“I’m…not surprised.” The other eventually replied. “Sheesh, and they let you wield fire instead?”

Hinata grinned. “I would argue fire is less lethal, like sure it’ll burn but it’s not going to instantly kill you. An arrow to the face…eh.”

Kiyoko tuned back into the conversation to hear Hinata’s reasoning and decided maybe she shouldn’t ask what had happened. She shook her head and laughed as Nishinoya immediately stated that fire is still pretty lethal, turning her thoughts to when they were going to camp that evening and how much they were really going to tell Tsukishima about their antics.

As the day started drawing to a close, Suga declared they were to set up camp in a grove of trees just off the road. Kunimi and Kiyoko unloaded both the horses and made a start on a small fire whilst Kindaichi fed and watered Hotaru and Raimei. Hinata helped Nishinoya unroll the bedrolls and set them up around the fire as Akaashi kept watch.

Suga and Moniwa oversaw the party making camp with Tsukishima, partly wondering why their new companion didn’t seem to be carrying anything more than an adventure pack.

“Do you not have a bedroll?” Suga asked as Moniwa studied the map for the next stage of their plotted route.

“No, I don’t see the need for one.” Tsukishima shrugged. “It’s just extra baggage for me.”

Even if Suga didn’t quite understand how Tsukishima could intend to travel such a great distance and not have even a blanket to cover himself with, he nodded. “I see, well we have spare blankets if you get cold.”

Tsukishima smiled slightly. “Noted, I appreciate your hospitality, Sugawara. It’s obvious to me that you’re the calm in the eye of the storm that is this group.”

“Really?” Suga wasn’t sure how he felt about The Brotherhood being referred to as a storm.

“I know I haven’t met the rest of your guild, but it takes a special kind of leader to be entrusted with half of them on such a personal mission.”

“Just wait until you meet our actual leaders then.” Suga hummed, watching as Nishinoya declared the camp was ready and they could begin making supper.

The rabbit legs sizzled and crackled above the fire, Hinata watched the flames dancing like he always did during meal times on the road. Akaashi had declined to come off watch just yet, stating that it was unfamiliar land and he didn’t want to leave them open to attack. Everyone else ate in peaceful silence, the sound of the fire only overpowered by the fading birdsong and chirping of bugs in the undergrowth.

“So,” Nishinoya abruptly turned his attention to Tsukishima who had been enjoying being lost in his own thoughts. “we made camp, now you can tell me about your powers.”

Suga sighed. “Noya can you not—”

“No, it’s okay.” Tsukishima cut in. “I did say I would enlighten him once we struck camp.”

They watched as Tsukishima pulled down his hood, bright blond hair looking more striking in the earthy surroundings as opposed to the grand throne room. He smirked slightly as he rolled up the sleeves on his outer jacket, picking at his fingerless gloves before slipping them off. From there he pushed up the sleeves of his tunic, revealing his pale arms which were carefully inked with black and blue lines.

“Tattoos.” Kindaichi acknowledged.

“Not just any kind of tattoos.” Tsukishima met Nishinoya’s gaze. “I’m sure you’re vaguely aware that some mages brand themselves with ink infused with crushed runestones, no?”

Nishinoya nodded, Hinata’s eyes were fixed on Tsukishima’s tattoos now. “What do they do?” The younger mage asked.

Tsukishima’s smirk widened a little. “I’m glad you asked.”

Akaashi had moved a little closer to the group, partly because there was no obvious threat to them and partly to hear what Tsukishima was talking about. His stomach churned as Tsukishima titled his head back and inhaled deeply, letting his eyes slip shut. The inked lines that crisscrossed and weaved in intricate patterns on his skin began to glow a faint orange light, smoke-like in appearance like the beginnings of a fire.

With his eyes still closed, Tsukishima spoke calmly but with purpose. “A travelling merchant, horse and cart ladened with wares bound for the eastern kingdom. It’s harvest season. The sun is warm but the wind cold. She is content, happy to be on the road with her horse.”

Hinata glanced at Akaashi who was doing a good job of remaining stoic despite the confusion plastered across everyone else’s faces. The tattoos continued glowing, the ink appearing to move despite it clearly being permanently fixed in place.

“A rider approaches, orange and black colours mark his attire, an agent of House Kageyama. He stops the merchant, asks her for directions. She complies with a smile, pointing and explaining. He nods, reaches into his saddlebag and gives her three gold pieces. He rides off. She watches him go, still smiling, giggling a little at his handsome looks.”

Tsukishima let out a heavy sigh, meeting Hinata’s gaze. “That took place five summers ago.” He explained.

Nishinoya snorted, Akaashi raised an eyebrow.

“You can read the past?” Hinata asked.

Kunimi and Suga exchanged a glance, Suga didn’t need to ask how Kunimi felt about it all.

“Bits and pieces.” Tsukishima started covering his arms again. “In certain areas where something of note happened. Battlefields are the worst to witness but also strangely interesting.”

“It’s sometimes referred to as ‘past reading’.” Moniwa stated. “Kenma explained it to me once.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You have an empath mage?”

“We have two.” Kunimi corrected, picking at the leftover bones of his supper. “One’s more obvious than the other about it.”

Tsukishima cast his eyes around the group, a thoughtful expression gracing his face. He met Akaashi’s gaze and held it for a fleeting moment.

It was long enough for Akaashi to get an uneasy feeling.

“Interesting. So this Kenma—”

“You don’t need to know anything about him until you meet him.” Akaashi curtly replied. “He’s adamant that he’s an alchemist first, mage second. If you want to know about his powers, you’ll have to ask him yourself.”

Tsukishima adjusted his eyeglasses, seemingly undeterred by Akaashi’s manner of speaking. “Very well.”

Moniwa wanted to ask Tsukishima more about how he developed such powers so young, but there was a heaviness in the air at Akaashi’s outburst that made him put that conversation off until the next day. The attention of the group quickly turned to the map as Suga unrolled it and detailed their route for the next day. Fatigue was seeping into them, the amount of walking and talking taking its toll on them as they busied themselves with preparation for the coming day.

* * *

 

The ocean had been calm, a blessing to Kenma as he sat slumped on the floor of the deck towards the bow. He rested his folded arms on the side of the ship, watching the horizon rise and dip with the waves. It was a pleasant day by all accounts.

“So, when we get to the others,” Yaku murmured quietly from beside him. “how do you think they’ll react to this fella’?” He ruffled the thick, grey fur of the cat that was curled up between them as they sat amongst the boxes and crates. They had taken to relaxing in this seldom explored part of the deck, it was close enough to the others to be easily fetched but away from the chaos that was the mess hall.

“I reckon Hinata and Nishinoya will love him. Kunimi might be dismissive at first but he seems like a cat person deep down.” Kenma replied.

“Suga’s going to either love or hate the idea.” Yaku chuckled, watching the cat’s ears twitch.

“Kiyoko will love him I think.”

“Moniwa won’t like him getting fur all over his books.”

Kenma laughed at the mental image. “Yeah, he might become a pain in regards to potion brewing.”

As if he knew he was being talked about, the cat meowed loudly, looking up at Kenma with wide green eyes.

“Does he have a name yet?” Yaku asked, scratching just under his chin.

“No. I can’t think of one to suit him.”

“We can’t keep just calling him ‘the cat’.” Yaku huffed, standing up and making his way to the bow, peering over the edge at the pointed hull slicing through the water below. He caught sight of the pouncing wolf; the figurehead of the ship as well as the defining symbol of the pirate’s guild. His mind wondered to The Brotherhood’s defining symbol of the silver owl and how Bokuto had just gone through the ordeal of having it inked into his arm.

“Well until he inspires a name, I don’t know what to go with.” Kenma shrugged, letting his eyes slip shut as the rocking of the ship remained peaceful.

Yaku hummed, glancing back at the cat. In a way, Tanaka’s remark about it becoming their mascot didn’t seem overly insane now.

“Do you think he’s a wildcat?”

Kenma opened one eye, peering at Yaku in his peripheral vision. “Why?”

“…well I was thinking, our sigil is an owl right, but who’s to say the cat can’t be our mascot too?”

Kenma snorted. “A cat…”

“A mountain cat.”

“A mountain cat…why not just go with mountain lion?”

“Mountain lion.” Yaku nodded.

“We can’t call a cat ‘lion’, that’s dumb.”

“Sure we can. Just not in that term…” Yaku huffed. “there was a merchant who visited Kitamine a few times from the north. They have a slightly different dialect to ours so their names mean different things.”

“Go on.” Kenma was interested to see what Yaku was going to imply.

“He was selling a painting once, it was of a white lion standing on a cliff edge looking all powerful and that,” Yaku waved his hand dismissively “it was called Lev. Just ‘Lev’.”

“Are you saying that this dialect, the word for lion is ‘Lev’?” Kenma asked, turning to face Yaku fully.

“Yeah, so we could call him that.”

Kenma looked at the cat, it didn’t look like a white lion by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a name nonetheless.

“How do you feel about then, Lev?” Kenma asked the feline as if it had any understanding of the human language.

It blinked slowly before chirping and rolling onto its back for a belly rub.

“Well, that’s that I guess.” Yaku chuckled. “Lev it is.”

“I’m sure the others will be thrilled.” Kenma stifled a yawn. “If they’re sober enough to care.”

Whilst the drinking hadn’t gotten hopelessly out of hand, Bokuto getting his tattoo had certainly increased the amount of whiskey and rum the group were drinking. Daichi and Misaki had been meeting in the captain’s cabin most nights discussing the information each guild could offer the other. Two crows had arrived from the other party - one declaring they had left Tanishiti and another updating Daichi on the route they were taking. Upon asking about how the crows managed to find the ship, Misaki stated she never knew how they did it, simply stating that they were smart birds by all accounts, thus the matter was sidelined in favour of more serious ones.

“You ever considered getting a tattoo?” Kenma asked Yaku as Lev stood up and stretched.

“Occasionally.” Yaku shrugged. “Never really figured out what I’d get though, maybe my sister’s name or something like that, you?”

Kenma smiled slightly. “Mages don’t tend to get tattoos for the pretty pictures.”

“Oh?”

Lev’s tail swished about wildly as he gazed up at the mast of the tall ship, they could almost see the desire in his eyes to climb to the crow’s nest and never come down again.

“If you know what you’re doing,” Kenma met Yaku’s gaze with an amused expression. “you can get tattoos that help your powers grow.”

Yaku raised an eyebrow. “Really now.”

“Crush some runestones of your choice, boil them until the powder dissolves,” Kenma listed off like he had studied it in depth before. “the hard part is dosing it appropriately. Too much of an element can prove to be a bit lethal.”

“How exactly do you know this? I’ve never heard of a mage getting runestone tattoos.”

“It’s not exactly a well-known practice outside of the crazy cults of mages. But there are rumours of court mages being…persuaded to get them in the design of certain royal house seals.”

“Ah. So it’s a branding thing?” Yaku sighed.

“Somewhat.” Kenma yawned. “Which is why most ‘normal’ mages tend not to do it. Those who do, risk being associated with fanatical cultists and tyrannical rulers.”

Yaku nodded, not sure how to follow on from that statement.

“Also, you saw how much Bokuto had to drink just for a normal tattoo. Imagine having magical properties added to that.” Kenma shuddered, making Yaku chuckle. “No thank you.”

All they could see from the ship’s current position was the ocean, not a hint of land was in sight or any other ships for that matter. In a way, it was somewhat lonely. Kenma could see why some preferred a life like this; always travelling, away from the clutches of the kingdom and all the havoc it brought. There was an odd kind of peace to it, like he was in a different world; a world without the stress of the Blue Serpents, a world where he wasn’t judged for his reluctance to fight, where he could talk freely about things and not fear the headman’s axe for treason.

That being said, he longed for the familiar comforts of home. He longed to return to his books and potions, to his pile of blankets that smelt like home - even if they were a little holey and one of them was partly singed because of Hinata accidentally setting fire to it in his sleep. As much as the view was pretty here and the alcohol plentiful, there was no place like home.

“Should we go and see if Bokuto’s sobered up?” Yaku suggested. “It should be time to eat soon.”

Kenma nodded, shuffling to his feet and scooping Lev up in his arms. They were used to the rocking motion of the ship by now as they made their way towards the mess hall that the rest of their party had taken up residence in since boarding. Tanaka was playing cards with one of the crewmen, seemingly the most sober of the trio in the hall, Daichi was absent and probably discussing business things with Misaki.

Bokuto’s right bicep and shoulder were bandaged up neatly, evidence that the inking was complete and now he had to let it heal. He waved to Yaku and Kenma as they entered, calling for them to ‘come and see what Tetsu’s getting’. Kenma raised an eyebrow as the piece of scrap parchment was waved in front of him by a slightly tipsy Bokuto.

“And what is that?” Yaku asked, peering at the scribbled drawing. It appeared to him to be a bird of sorts clutching a dagger in its talons.

“An owl holding a dagger.” Kuroo shrugged. “I was thinking of getting it on my shoulder.”

“This better not be some new kind of Brotherhood initiation.” Yaku handed the parchment back. “Cause I’m not having a bird tattooed on me.”

Bokuto laughed. “No, nah. But Tanaka is getting a thundercloud done tonight.”

Upon the conversation turning to him, Tanaka flashed Yaku and Kenma a grin. “Hey, I gotta put these to good use.” Tanaka flexed his arms, biceps bulging slightly and getting a laugh from everyone.

“Gods have mercy…” Yaku sighed. “Don’t drink all their whiskey, I don’t know how much gold we have to spend on your drinking habits.”

Kenma let Lev jump from his arms and start prowling around the room, on the search for rats and any leftover food. With his hands now free, Kenma picked up a spare deck of playing cards left on one of the tables.

“So, now that we’ve finished discussing voluntary self-mutilation…” he shuffled the cards as he glanced around at the group. “anyone for cards?”


	19. Sharing Information

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I revised my overall plot plan and realised this fic is definitely gonna end up pushing 50 chapters...whoops.
> 
> Anyway, my vacation is long over now so we're definitely back to regular updates now :3

**XVIII**

**Sharing Information**

 

Their second day on the road was not as calm as the first. Dark clouds hung overhead, a cold rain shower had dampened the campfire they had cooked breakfast over. The path ahead was waterlogged in several places, causing them to deviate from the trail and trudge through the muddy grassland that was dwindling as the forest crept closer. It left everyone in a dreary mood as the clouds above them promised more rain.

“Well you have to wonder, who’d wanna live out here?” Kunimi shivered, pulling his fur overcoat tighter around him. “It’s cold and wet.”

Suga chuckled. “Daichi’s hometown isn’t that far north of where we are y’know.” He raised an eyebrow at Kunimi.

“Pft.”

“And I’m pretty sure Kitamine is colder.” Akaashi added from in front, carefully stepping over a fallen tree branch. “So you’d get little sympathy from either Yaku or Kuroo.”

“I’m sure Kunimi’s just really used to the city heat.” Nishinoya joked. “He wasn’t born and raised in the wilds like us.” He winked, moving out of reach of the other in case he had a punch coming towards him.

Kunimi rolled his eyes but laughed a little. “I sit up in a tree every day keeping watch over the guild. I’ve sat there in the wind and rain many times.”

“So why are you complaining?” Suga ran a hand through Hotaru’s mane, picking out a few leaves that had gotten caught.

“Because there’s not a lot else to talk about—unless you want to speculate what we’re gonna find in this other kingdom or why the Blue Serpents are so hell-bent on killing Kuroo.”

At the mention of the other group, Akaashi snorted but said nothing. No-one had dared to mention them so callously since leaving the guild, word had travelled fast within them about Akaashi’s displeasure at discussing them. Suga had confided in Moniwa and Kiyoko about the nature of Akaashi’s nightmares and the trio agreed it was best to not remind him of his lover’s plight.

“Blue Serpents…” Tsukishima repeated. “That’s the bandit group running rampant, right?”

Akaashi cleared his throat, making his way further up the convoy purposefully as Kunimi turned to Tsukishima.

“Yeah, but they’ve got a stick up their ass with us.” He replied.

“Well, Kuroo mainly but us by association.” Kindaichi clarified.

“What great tell did Kuroo do to get on their bad side?”

Kunimi mulled over how to delicately phrase his response. It went without saying that none of them really trusted Tsukishima, let along wanting to bear all to him. For a start, he could report it back to the king and get them all arrested for various crimes and that was bad enough.

“As far as I know, he messed up some of their plans a few summers back.” Kunimi rubbed his hands together to try and generate some warmth. “Nearly got killed in the process and now they want his head in revenge.”

Tsukishima hummed in thought as they kept walking. The mud was being churned up by Raimei at the head of the party, large hooves squelching and leaving a path for the rest of them to follow. Hinata and Kiyoko were leading him through the foliage, both getting up to their knees and waists in mud and plants as they picked a path through. It meant the rest of them didn’t get nearly as dirty as long as they kept to the trail that was being carved for them.

“So will you be asking for his majesty’s protection when you’re done here?” Tsukishima asked.

Kindaichi laughed as Kunimi pulled a horrified expression. “Fuck no.”

“So what are you planning to do about them?”

Kunimi snorted. “That’s none of your business, you’re not part of The Brotherhood.”

“No, but I do hold influence over the king, if I happen to mention that we know where they’ll strike next, we can eliminate them once and for all.”

The sentry duo exchanged a glance. “We have our own plans for them.” Kindaichi gestured to the air. “Mainly deflecting any attacks they launch on us.”

Tsukishima shrugged and smiled slightly. “Okay then.”

The clouds overhead darkened, the wind picked up a little as they walked. Nishinoya clenched and unclenched his fists as they returned to the main trading route. He clicked his teeth as he stared up at the sky.

“What’s up?” Hinata asked, curious as to why Nishinoya was suddenly so interested in the sky.

“A storm is brewing.” He replied. “We should set up camp and hope it blows over.”

Kiyoko glanced around the wilderness, if it was a thunderstorm then camping near trees would be a disaster waiting to happen. They were too far away from the mountains to look for a cave, and the chances of there being one in the limited grasslands were slim. It appeared that they were going to have to ride this one out in the open.

“We have the leather covers, right?” She asked Nishinoya.

“Yeah, and I guess they’ll have to do.” He nodded, looking back to Akaashi who seemed caught up in his own thoughts. “Hey, we need to make camp before it starts to rain.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Akaashi nodded and passed the message back to Suga. Kiyoko gave Raimei’s reins to Hinata and halted the convoy so she could inspect the grasslands for a reasonable place to set up their storm shelter. Kunimi took Hotaru’s reins from Suga so the camping gear could be unloaded from her saddle, the wind strengthening as they stood on the road.

“Kindaichi, find us a long, sturdy branch to hang the leather from.” Suga instructed. “Doesn’t have to be dry, just needs to be strong.”

The sentry nodded and set off to fulfil his task. Kiyoko and Moniwa had cleared a patch of ground to set the shelter on. Nishinoya had been collecting rocks and boulders to secure the cover in place once it was draped over the branch.

“Tsukishima, can you help me with this?” Suga all but dumped the rolled up leather cover into Tsukishima’s arms. “Just hold it for now whilst I get these support poles in place.”

Hinata wanted to help but was firmly told to keep hold of Raimei and make sure he didn’t startle if any thunder sounded. The guild’s sturdy wooden poles that had ‘Y’ shapes carved into them by Bokuto were struck into the ground, secured in place with rope and rocks pinning them down. Kindaichi returned with a fallen tree branch that required some carving with Suga’s hunting knife to fit into the ‘Y’ slots.

The wind howled around them as the frame was tested and determined as solid enough, Kiyoko and Tsukishima draped the tanned-leather cover over it. The edges flapped in the gale, requiring a team effort to pin them down with both wooden stakes and the boulders Nishinoya collected.

Only when the shelter was seemed secure, did Suga order for the horses to be unsaddled and all their supplies to be bundled inside the shelter.

“What are we gonna do about them?” Kindaichi asked, gesturing to the two horses as the heavy saddles were lifted from their backs.

Suga glanced around, there was no natural shelter nearby other than the forest so letting them roam free could end poorly, not to mention the risk of them getting set upon by wolves or bears. “Tie a rope between their bridles and then secure them to the spare shelter pole. Hopefully they’ll be able to ride it out.”

Kindaichi nodded, even if he seemed unsure at first. He found a long piece of rope to give them some slack to move if they needed to. With Moniwa and Nishinoya’s help he got the spare shelter pole impaled in the soft ground and tied down in a similar fashion. A shorter piece of rope was used to tie Hotaru and Raimei together, so if they did come loose from the pole, they’d still be kept together and less likely to be picked off by a wild animal.

“Everyone inside.” Kiyoko called over the wind.

No-one missed a beat as they crawled into the makeshift shelter. It was cramped inside, but better than trying to walk through the storm. The cold wind could be felt whipping through the gaps in the cover, causing most of them to shiver as they sat practically on top of one another.

“That one set on fast.” Nishinoya breathed.

“Any reason why?” Moniwa asked.

Nishinoya shook his head. “I guess freak storms are common in this part of the realm, what with the mountains to the north and the forests to the south bring two separate sets of air together…”

“So thunderstorms and snow aren’t uncommon?” Kunimi cut in. “Great. Can’t even light a fire in this wind.”

Hinata rubbed his hands together, the warmth spreading easily in his fingertips “Sure we can.” He replied.

He was met with confused looks from everyone but Nishinoya as he held out his palms as if he was about to scoop up water from a river. The runestones bumping against his chest under his tunic warmed up slightly as he summoned a large flame. The orange glow illuminated their faces, flame dancing in the wind but not dwindling in the slightest.

“How long are you gonna be able to keep that up with the wind?” Suga asked carefully, not wanting to sound ungrateful for the heat source but concerned nonetheless.

Hinata shrugged. “Kenma gave me a new runestone chain so…a while?” He replied. “Don’t worry about me, I handled it for three nights before I had any training so I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Hinata smiled.

The group remained quiet as they watched Hinata’s flame flicker in his hands. Akaashi hugged his knees, thoughts turning over in his head as the sound of rain began above their heads. Every so often, Kindaichi would peek out to check on the horses, both of them were weathering the storm as best they could. The silence between the party would’ve been suffocating had it not been for the wind and rain.

“So,” Kiyoko finally broke it as boredom got the better of her. “Tsukishima, where are you from? We know very little about you.”

“Me?” Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “I’m from a settlement to the south of here, but I spent most of my childhood at an academy for mages.”

Hinata perked up. “An academy?”

“Yeah. My powers were unlike what our elders understood, so my mother and father sent me to an academy to learn how to control them.”

Akaashi and Nishinoya regarded Tsukishima with guarded gazes as Hinata kept asking questions.

“What was it like? Did you meet other mages? What kind of stuff were you taught?”

Tsukishima smiled, however there was a glint in his eye behind the glasses. “It’s not exactly a ‘fun’ place y'know. You’re surrounded by mages who don’t know what their powers do and most of the time neither do the mentors. And there’s this feeling that whilst you’re all mages, no-one really likes each other.”

“Oh…”

“There’s a reason the only kind of mage that enrols is the kind who has problems.”

Akaashi snorted. “Funny, I came across a girl who went to one of the academies.” He challenged. “She said it was a nice place, that the mentors were all good-natured people. Oh and she didn’t have anything ‘wrong’ with her, she just wanted to learn all there was about her elemental magic.”

Tsukishima straightened his posture, looking down his nose slightly at Akaashi. “Really, well she must’ve gone to a different one to me. Everyone’s experience is different.”

“I bet.” Akaashi uttered. “So what exactly do you do as a scout?”

“I get sent to villages and towns to check on how the people are receiving the royal house’s decrees. I also make sure the region guards are following the code and that the lords and ladies aren’t defying the king’s orders.” Tsukishima listed off. “And occasionally I personally help the locals with small odd jobs and tasks.”

“Odd jobs…involving your powers?”

Suga gathered that Akaashi was trying to figure out what exactly Tsukishima’s intentions were. Whilst he wasn’t sure he approved of the interrogative style of questioning, it was better than sitting in silence.

“Yes, if they are required, I use my powers.” Tsukishima smirked. “I have no reservations about that.”

“That’s fine. We’re the last people to judge on morals.” Akaashi carefully replied. “I just like knowing who we’re travelling with.”

Tsukishima nodded slowly, gaze turning back to Hinata’s flame. The conversation seemed to end there, neither party deciding to further it. As the wind continued to howl and the heavy rain drummed against the leather above them, the flickering light from Hinata’s palm was the only thing keeping them grounded.

Hinata’s thoughts wondered as he stared at his own hands. He mulled over what Tsukishima had said about the academy, he didn’t even know they existed. As far as he knew, mages were taught by their village elders and families. It had never occurred to him that some would’ve been beyond their elder’s help, that they would’ve had to leave home to go to a foreign place to learn about their own powers.

He wanted to ask more about the academy, but it was pretty clear to him that Tsukishima and Akaashi had very different opinions on them. It would be troublesome to broach the subject when tensions were running high between the duo.

“How long is this gonna last, do you reckon?” Moniwa asked Nishinoya. Nishinoya had taken to hugging his legs, resting his chin on his knees with his eyes closed as if he was meditating. At the question, he opened one eye slowly.

“…I can’t tell.” He replied quietly. “It’s not a simple shower though, it’s a storm. We’ll be lucky to see the sun again this side of dusk.”

Kunimi huffed, rubbing his forearms as the rest of the party reacted to the news with sighs and hums of thought. With no sign of the storm ending, Suga would have to keep them from losing hope.

“Hey, Hinata do you think your flame is hot enough to heat food over?” He asked.

“Uh, sure, but the smoke might make it hard to breathe.” Hinata replied, his flame growing in intensity.

“We’ll manage.” Suga smiled, reaching for one of the supply packs that had their food rations in. “Whilst we’re sat here riding out this storm, we can at least eat to keep our strength up.” He continued, rummaging through the supplies and pulling out a package wrapped in clean cloth.

They watched as he then dug out the skewer that would normally be hung over a campfire and slid the variety of small vegetables onto it. He handed the skewer to Kindaichi who then held it over Hinata’s flame.

“It’s not what I had planned for supper, but it’s better than nothing.” Suga sighed, set on making up another skewer. “And it gives us something to focus on.”

“It’s a good idea.” Kiyoko took the second skewer from Suga.

They returned to sitting in silence as Hinata’s flame roasted the vegetables slowly, the smell filled the small shelter and in turn warmed the air a little more despite the wind creeping in. One by one, they ate their fill of hot food, grateful for the warmth in their hands and their bellies.

As Suga placed the last of the package’s vegetables onto a skewer, Nishinoya broke the silence. “It’s times like this, that I’m thankful I’m not travelling alone anymore.”

“Oh?” Moniwa asked. “You travelled alone?”

Nishinoya nodded. “Well, it was me and Ryuu. We used to travel a lot just the two of us. I was eleven summers old when my powers became evident, but they were rather…explosive. So my village elder sent me to Ryuu’s village and we hit it off. Eventually, we just decided to hit the road but boy were we under prepared.”

“What happened?” Hinata asked.

“Well what didn’t happen?” Nishinoya laughed. “We got caught in storms, chased by bears, chased by bandits, fell into a nest of giant spiders, lost the map twice, our camp flooded far too many times and Ryuu nearly fell off a cliff once.”

“Only once?” Kunimi chuckled, getting a playful jab in the ribs in return.

“Either way, I’m glad I’m not travelling alone in this storm.”

Suga smiled at the remark. “We’ll get through this one easy. It’s not my first storm, we got them a lot back home, being on the coast.”

“We had our fair share too.” Kiyoko added. “Rainstorms mostly, not snow or thunder.”

As the conversation turned to weather, Akaashi let his eyes close. Even sitting undercover in a storm was exhausting for him. He couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that Tsukishima gave him, even just the way the scout talked sent unwelcome irks through him. The guild wasn’t used to working with outsiders, those who weren’t part of The Brotherhood, those who hadn’t proved themselves loyal to the cause. It was this that made Akaashi even more wary of Tsukishima, the more they told him about their creed, the more they gave him to blackmail them with.

Sure, Tsukishima may be ‘just a scout’, but there was nothing stopping him going to Tooru and landing them all in jail for multiple counts of murder. And that was just one of Akaashi’s fears.

He was starting to understand Kunimi’s distrust for mages now that they had an unfamiliar one within their midst.

* * *

 

The ageing map lay on the table in the ship captain’s cabin, corners held down by throwing knives, inked letters marked the continent and the ocean alike. Large crosses over settlements now long-gone almost outnumbered those circled.

“And…what happened to this one?” Yaku asked, pointing to one of the crosses.

Misaki and Bobata exchanged a glance. The captain sighed heavily as she recalled this particular village’s fate for the three brothers stood before her.

“A storm blew in I believe, tore up most of their fishing boats. Left them open to attack. They moved in under the cover of night, we passed through two days later and found what remained of the survivors.”

Daichi was watching Kuroo’s reaction. The three of them had come in to ask how far out they were from their destination, the original conversation had been long forgotten when Kuroo asked about the copious amount of markings on the map. It was then they heard firsthand that the Blue Serpents were more widespread than they thought as Misaki and Bobata took it in turns to explain each coastal settlement’s fate at the hands of the bandit clan.

“What did the survivors tell you?” Kuroo asked.

Misaki worried her lip between her teeth as she avoided Kuroo’s gaze at first. “Uh, they were hysterical at first, they thought we were back to ‘finish the job’.”

“What did the Serpents do to them?” Daichi rephrased. “Steal? Murder?”

“Both. Only they didn’t just take valuables…”

Kuroo turned away from the map, placing his hand over his face as he put the pieces together in his mind. He winced at the pain in his shoulder, the ink was still healing, but it was a bittersweet pain.

“They took the kids, didn’t they?” Yaku said.

Misaki nodded. “They left the real young ones, only taking the ones over ten summers old.”

Bobata let out a heavy sigh. “When honest-law abiding citizens turn to pirates to get their kids back…”

“Wait, they asked you to retrieve the kids?” Kuroo snapped from his thoughts.

Bobata nodded. “They pleaded us to go after them, offered us all the gold they could but—”

“Yuji didn’t want us to fall into their line of fire, we weren’t that well equipped to fend of a group of their size.” Misaki interrupted. “Trust us Kuroo, we would’ve intervened if we could.”

“Why didn’t you?” Kuroo slammed his hand on the table before gesturing to all the markings on the map. “You’ve known that they’ve been doing this for how long? You could’ve done something—”

Daichi put a hand on Kuroo’s forearm, squeezing in warning as he caught the other leader’s gaze. “Tetsurou, think about what you’re saying. You’re asking why they didn’t endanger themselves when they knew nothing of their enemy.”

“So?”

“Put yourself in Misaki’s position, or Yuji’s, would you have gone against a force like the Serpents with only the word of a village to go on? Where would you have started? How would you have guaranteed that those kids made it back safe?”

Yaku cleared his throat as Kuroo didn’t reply. Daichi gave Kuroo a solemn smile, squeezing his arm again.

“We’ll get them, you know we will.” He reaffirmed. “The Brotherhood isn’t letting this go, and Misaki has sworn her guild into an alliance with us, which means they’ll have a chance to put it right.”

“How Daichi…how are we gonna track them down again?” Kuroo hung his head as he peered over the map. “They’ve gone underground, they don’t leave breadcrumbs to follow like the mercenary groups.”

“They’ll surface.” Yaku answered. “They always do. I’ve told my sister’s somewhat-useful lover to send us word if they come back to Kitamine.”

“And we have people all over the realm keeping an eye out.” Bobata added.

“The second that they come back, we’ll know.” Misaki concluded. “And we can end this once and for all Kuroo. We’re all on the same side here.”

There was a pause. Kuroo nodded slowly and turned to leave. “I need some air.” He mumbled as he stepped out of the cabin and onto the main deck.

The waves were choppy as the dusk gave way to the night. Lanterns hung on the rigging and from the masts giving off a soft glow. Crewmen moved around quickly but with care, wanting to finish their duties and let the night shift take over so they could start drinking. Kuroo walked towards the bow of the ship, the brisk wind cooling his shoulder that felt like it had been next to a campfire for hours. The new ink adorning his skin was a welcome distraction from the aching in his chest.

He longed to be back at the guild, to be back in familiar surroundings. He wanted to go to sleep in his own bed with Akaashi by his side. This journey had been tough on his resolve, he needed Akaashi to soothe his thoughts about what he should’ve done, what he could’ve done, what happened because he didn’t do something when he could’ve.

A meow brought him back to reality.

“Oh, hey Lev.” Kuroo remarked, reaching out and petting the cat’s head, scratching just behind his ears as the feline perched on the side of the ship. He vaguely wondered where Kenma was, the cat never really seemed to leave the other’s side. A quick glance around confirmed the cat had wandered out alone. “Do you have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into?”

Lev blinked slowly, leaning into Kuroo’s hand for more pets.

“I guess not,” Kuroo chuckled. “I dunno if you understood half of Tanaka’s ramblings in Kitamine, but we’re not exactly a conventional family like most cats find themselves in.”

He watched Lev jump down from the side of the ship and weave between his legs, rubbing his face against the side of Kuroo’s boot before looking up with wide green eyes again.

“Well I’m sure as long as you get fed and are allowed to sleep in Kenma’s bedding, you won’t really care what’s going on...who comes and goes, whether we manage to survive this crazy shit without breaking apart.”

Lev let out a high pitched chirp, tail thrashing and whipping against Kuroo’s leg.

“Okay—sheesh, I guess we’re better than that. Maybe it isn’t so crazy to think that we’ll all get out of this alive, be it as a brotherhood or a family.” Kuroo’s train of thought spiralled off. The lines between brotherhood and family weren’t all too bold. The only real difference was that their namesake spoke more of their way of living, whereas the latter spoke more of how deep some of the bonds ran.

He turned his gaze to the horizon, the faint outline of land could be picked out from the darkness but it was too far away to tell where they were. It would be at least one more day until they reached the eastern coast.

“…well Lev, I hope you’re as lively when we get back to riding through swamps and woods. ‘cause there’s a lot of that ahead.”

Lev rolled onto his back, meowing demandingly for more attention. Kuroo snorted, giving in to his demand. Just a few more days and the guild would be back together, he just had to keep it together for a few more days.

 


	20. Mysterious Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, I might start updating twice a week in the near future because I've been able to get a lot further ahead than I intended and I don't see any reason not to if I keep ahead of myself :3
> 
> As always, thankyou for reading and commenting. I enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts and plot predictions!

**XIX**

**Mysterious Magic**

 

Once the storm had passed over, Suga rallied the group to press on quickly. They had lost several hours waiting for the skies to calm, so they travelled into the night to try and make up for it. They rested until dawn broke before setting off again without delay. Whilst they didn’t have a time limit to get there and back, Suga didn’t want to waste time out in the wilds. He didn’t want to put them in unnecessary danger whilst they were away from the others.

On the eve of their third day on the road, the border was within sight of their camp. Tsukishima pointed out the mountains looming in the dusk light, Moniwa correlated their position to the map markings and between the two of them they worked out where on the border they were. The rest of the party had busied themselves with setting up camp, seeing to Hotaru and Raimei, and taking inventory of their supplies.

During the day’s travelling there hadn’t been much talk about what they were going to find, or even about the risks the guild was facing. Hinata had moved up and down the convey chatting with everyone about anything and everything from asking Moniwa about the unfamiliar plants they passed to convincing Kunimi to practice sparring again. He had given Tsukishima a wider berth after the frosty conversation between Akaashi, Nishinoya and Tsukishima. He felt that there was an unspoken order from his guild brothers to not talk so freely about himself to the outsider.

Suga and Kiyoko had managed to keep the mages from bickering, or rather, Kiyoko kept Nishinoya talking to her for most of the day about how he was able to sense the storm and what that meant for his developing powers, whilst Suga tried to get Akaashi to open up about why he seemed more hostile than usual.

When it came to settling down to sleep, Kunimi volunteered to keep watch. For him and Kindaichi, this journey so far hadn’t been overly stressful, he kept reminding himself that all he had to do to get pardoned was go to Tobu Misaki-Mura, poke around and report back on whether or not there was any obvious sign of the heir of House Kageyama being alive.  
He didn’t have to ‘solve’ anything, he didn’t have to negotiate, he didn’t have to fight anyone unless they tried to kill him. All Kunimi had to do was survive to tell the king whatever he discovered.

The brisk breeze threatened to put out the campfire, he kept his eyes on the distant border though. If he squinted a little, he could make out the faint shape of a wall running down from the mountains. Given the length of time that had passed since the kingdom was last active, he wouldn’t be surprised if it was in a state of ruin.

Which begged the question, if the heir was alive, why hadn’t he made it known in a more public manner? Kunimi wrinkled his nose, the smell of smoke strong in the air as the wind-swept fire engulfed a chunk of wood. He drummed his fingers against his leather bracers as he folded them on his knees and rested his chin atop them.

If the heir was alive, he was playing a stealthy game. Kunimi didn’t know much about the history of the kingdom’s politics, but he knew enough to know that those kinds of games rarely ended well.

As he continued watching the wall, he let his thoughts run wild, content with the quiet of the camp and knowing he didn’t need to concentrate all that much. He was used to letting his idle thoughts take over when he was on watch but still being aware of his surroundings. The days spent in the tree perch outside the guild had trained his senses to pick out friend from foe, an active threat in the bushes, a new target on the trail.

Since being on the road, he had found himself second-guessing what he considered friend and foe. Which was why when he saw a flickering light near the wall, he stiffened.

There was only one of them, and it looked like a simple torchlight. It flickered as it moved at a decent speed along the wall. A rider on horseback? There was no way a person could move that quickly. He entertained the idea that it was a flaming arrow but it was following the wall almost religiously, not arcing like an arrow. He watched it travel down the mountainside at speed, blinking to try to focus his gaze on it and figure out who or what it was.

He became so focused on it, that movement beside him made him startle, hand drawing a dagger on instinct as he tore his gaze from the wall.

“You seem tense…” Akaashi murmured as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Half-awake as he took in Kunimi’s frosty expression.

Kunimi nodded, turning his gaze back to the wall as he sheathed his dagger. The light had halted, flickering in the distance. Akaashi followed his gaze, tensing visibly beside Kunimi as he noticed what had captured the sentry’s attention.

“What is it?” Akaashi breathed.

“I dunno.” Kunimi replied. “It came down the mountainside along the wall, too fast for a person but—”

“Could be a horse and rider?” Akaashi supplied.

Kunimi didn’t reply, he chewed on his bottom lip as the light flickered. The entire situation was somewhat reminding him of the night in the marshland when Yaku nearly died. Thinking back to that ordeal and the rumours of the old beings in the swamp, it dawned on him that they were about to cross into unknown land. Sure, it had been a prosperous kingdom only a few summers prior, but very little had trickled out of the former kingdom since the eruption.

To say that some folk were superstitious was an understatement.

“It hasn’t moved in a while, they probably set up camp.” Kunimi uttered.

“Hmm,” Akaashi shifted his sitting position to hug his knees. “You said they came down the mountain, yeah?”

Kunimi nodded. “I was thinking about how long the heir of this kingdom would’ve had to keep the fact he’s alive hushed up for…” he gestured to the darkness. “I saw it start from near the mountain base and go along the wall.”

The duo sat in silence for a few moments, watching the light. Kunimi was beginning to tire but he knew sleep wouldn’t come easy knowing there was something not quite right about the light on the border.

“I can take watch if you want.” Akaashi said, noting how Kunimi’s eyes were drooping.

“Nah, I won’t be able to sleep knowing there’s something so close by.” Kunimi shrugged.

Akaashi shook his head. “You’ve been up for hours.”

“Yeah but…” Kunimi trailed off. “…I won’t be able to sleep.”

Akaashi smiled. “I can help with that.”

Kunimi sighed slightly, knowing Akaashi wasn’t going to let him stay up if he could. He lay down in his bedroll and closed his eyes. A gentle hand pressed against his forehead, a soothing feeling washed over him, he vaguely wondered how Akaashi’s powers worked but a quiet voice interrupted him.

_You don’t want to know how they work. Now_ sleep _Akira. Dawn will come soon enough and we’ll be moving again._

Kunimi let out a mumbled remark about ‘mages and their weird ways’ before more even breathing took over. Akaashi smiled as he took his hand away and refocused his gaze on the flickering light ahead.

If it was a scout, the light would’ve been from a torch, not a campfire. So Akaashi found it odd how a second light hadn’t appeared. It wasn’t uncommon for scouts or rangers to neglect lighting a fire for the sake of remaining unnoticed, but given their location and the weather they were facing, he found it strange.

Nothing was sitting right with him since they let Tsukishima join them, the journey to Tobu Misaki-Mura was fine by him, they had done weirder jobs, more dangerous jobs, jobs that held higher stakes. What bothered him was how easily they accepted this stranger into their fold and how they were all okay with baring most of their secrets to him.

They didn’t know who he was, what his intentions were, or whether he was going to stab them in the back at some point. He had already figured out they were assassins, he didn’t need much persuading to rat them out to the king. Akaashi didn’t like how they were relying on his word so much either, nor how he claimed to know nothing of the Blue Serpents.

There was a lot Akaashi didn’t like about Tsukishima, but many of them were baseless speculation.

He was putting his apprehension down to how on edge he felt in general these past few days. The headaches and night terrors were getting more and more frequent, it wasn’t ideal in the slightest. He was surprised that he had been able to soothe Kunimi’s worries so easily and with no backlash.

Sometimes he wished his powers worked in the same manner when he applied them to himself. Unfortunately the downside of healing other people’s minds was that his own couldn’t be healed in the same manner. Instead he bore the burdens of the others, like Kunimi’s fear of being double-crossed, of his pardon being swiped away from his grasp.

Akaashi sighed heavily, gaze fixating on the flickering light. Whoever — or whatever — was out there, it wasn’t moving anytime soon it seemed. But he wasn’t going to relax too much.

* * *

 

Kiyoko was the first to wake when dawn broke, the campfire was long burnt out which was the first sign that something was amiss. She wasn’t sure who was meant to be on watch but they weren’t supposed to let the fire go out completely. The camp was quiet. After readying herself for the day ahead, she paced around the camp, doing a mental headcount for the party. Everyone was present, but not everyone was ‘correct’.

“Keiji?” She quietly asked, Akaashi’s gaze was transfixed on the border wall that was clear in the dawn’s light. She snapped her fingers in front of his face which seemed to break his concentration. He blinked rapidly as he came back to reality from wherever he had been wondering. “Are you okay?”

He let out a shaky breath, rubbing his eyes like they were burning. There was a moment of silence as he met her gaze.

“The light, the light on the border…”

Kiyoko glanced over her shoulder at the stone wall. There was no light to speak of, no sign of life, just a distant stone wall and then wilderness beyond it.

“Keiji, what are you talking about?”

Akaashi abruptly stood up, scanning the horizon for something Kiyoko couldn’t see. By now, Moniwa and Nishinoya had awoken and were understandably confused and concerned. Tsukishima had also roused from his slumber but showed no inclination to help.

“There was a light, all night. Kunimi saw it come down the mountain.” Akaashi spoke quickly, gesturing to the wall. “I took over the watch, I watched it all night…”

Kiyoko wasn’t sure what to do or say. “Keiji, it’s not there anymore. You must’ve fallen asleep with your eyes open.”

“No!”

Nishinoya stood up, groggy from sleep still but awake enough to know something wasn’t right. He held out his hands in front of his face, sparks crackled without him prompting them to. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to focus his gaze on the abrupt flashes of light crackling between his fingertips.

Kiyoko gently held up a hand in an attempt to calm Akaashi down. “…okay Keiji, when did you stop seeing the light?”

Akaashi gave her a disbelieving look. “It was—” He pointed at the wall but hesitated, searching the area for it. “It was…there.”

Moniwa exchanged a glance with Tsukishima who still seemed uncaring about the entire situation. Rather than order the scout to give an opinion, Moniwa set about waking Suga and explaining that there was something weird going on.

Suga wasn’t sure how to wrestle control back of the situation. He ordered a fire to be built as he spoke with Akaashi. He held the other’s hands tightly and sought his expression for any hint to what had gotten into him. Kunimi explained what he had seen the previous night but confessed he had no idea what had Akaashi so worked up. Nishinoya’s hands were still crackling without him controlling it, prompting more concern for what was going to happen when Hinata woke up.

“Something in the area has changed.” Kiyoko hissed to Kindaichi. “Get the horses and come look around with me, will you?”

Kindaichi nodded, in moments like this he always felt hopeless as a warrior but Kiyoko needed someone without magic in their veins to accompany her. He harnessed Hotaru and Raimei with their saddles and they set off to see if anything odd had occurred.

Neither of them wanted to say taboo magic, but they were both thinking it.

“Only the mages are affected, meaning there’s something magical at play. Be on your guard.” Kiyoko told Kindaichi as they spurred both horses to a canter.

They circled the camp, gradually distancing themselves as they didn’t find anything suspicious. Neither horse showed any sign of being uncomfortable as they slowed to a trot. The terrain of the wilderness was difficult to navigate through once off the main trail; bracken scraped against the legs of the horses, dead bushes and tree stumps were easy to trip over if one wasn't looking properly. It was not the best place to be searching for suspicious magical doings.

“I can’t see anything.” Kiyoko sighed, disappointment clear in her voice as she glanced back towards the camp.

Kindaichi cast his eyes over the area, they were a lot closer to the border wall now on what seemed to be an old trail. Large boulders littered the ground amongst the foliage. Various tracks from animals could be seen within the mud, wolves and hares mainly but the occasional bear track could be spotted. He didn’t claim to feel sensitive to his surroundings like the mages of the party, and Kunimi was always better at reading the area than he was.

But even Kindaichi could feel something was wrong in the air.

“Hold on.” He murmured, halting Hotaru and dismounting. Kiyoko shot him a puzzled look as he handed her the reigns to hold onto as he walked amongst the bracken, batting it away as he glanced around at his feet.

“See anything?” Kiyoko called from atop Raimei’s saddle.

Kindaichi wasn’t sure what he was looking for but he’d knew it when he found it. He shook his head, looking between camp and the border wall. Something about what Kunimi and Akaashi said they saw bothered him. A light coming down from the mountain and halting almost directly in line with them only to disappear the next day? It didn’t add up in his mind.

“Can we go to the border wall? I feel like we should look into the light they saw.”

Kiyoko nodded, handing him back the reigns and waiting for him to seat himself in the saddle before spurring Raimei to a gallop. It took next to no time to get to the crumbling wall that officially separated the two kingdoms. The wall was once a simple region divider between the inner sector and the outer sector of the kingdom of Kageyama, but since the eruption, the land that was once the outer sector was claimed by the House Oikawa. As far as anyone was concerned, the land on the other side of it was a lawless one, one that shouldn’t be strayed into lightly.

They halted at the wall, some of the large boulders that made up the border had fallen away in poor weather, moss was growing over them as they lay on both sides of the wall now. Kindaichi climbed onto the wall and looked back towards the camp; a thin wisp of smoke helped him pick it out amongst the trees and bushes that sheltered them from the wind.

“So this is as close as we can get I guess,” Kindaichi sighed, peering down at the ground either side of the wall. “Any sign of a scout’s camp?”

Kiyoko shook her head, if it was just one scout like Kunimi had theorised, there would be little left behind. They carefully picked their way along the wall for a few paces in each direction, first to the south and then to the north where the light apparently originated from.

“What do you think it was?” Kindaichi asked Kiyoko abruptly. “Like, you don’t really believe in ghosts and shit, you’re practically minded so do you really think it was a scout?”

It was hard for Kiyoko to answer the question with confidence.

“…unless we find something to say it was, I guess anything is possible.” She sighed as she walked beside the wall with both horses in tow. Kindaichi continued to walk on top of the wall, looking more on the unexplored side for any clues; tracks, a fire pit, anything that would give them closure.

Kindaichi nodded, kicking a loose rock off the wall. “Hey, do you think Akaashi’s…” He trailed off, not wanting to put his worries into words. “Y’know…okay?”

There was no reply for a moment, Kiyoko let out a heavy sigh. “I think, Akaashi is tired.”

“Tired?”

“He’s mentally tired, is what I meant.” She gave Kindaichi a solemn smile. “He carries a lot on his shoulders, and he pays a high price for that. I don’t think a lot of us understand just how much he’s carrying.”

Kindaichi chewed on his lip. “You think it’s gonna get worse with time?”

She shrugged. “Who can say, it hangs on how open he is to being told to rest.”

Kindaichi saw sense to not dive any deeper into the topic, he got a sense that Akaashi’s woes were just a part of something more stirring within the guild. They turned around and walked back towards the place the light was last seen, checking their tracks to see if they had missed anything.

Just as they were deciding to leave and rejoin the others, something caught his eye. He made a halt motion as he dropped down on the uncharted side of the wall, honing in on the boulder that caught his attention. Kiyoko peered over the wall at him, prepared to vault over herself and investigate until he held up a hand to stop her.

“What is it?” She asked as Kindaichi halted and stared at something.

“…it looks like one of Kenma’s runestones? Or like, the engravings on them at least?”

Kindaichi knew better than to touch anything that remotely glowed, especially if he didn't know its origin. A circle encased an upside-down arrowhead, three lines crisscrossed over the arrowhead to form a triangle with a small circle at the northern point. If he squinted he could see a shallow spiral craved into the smaller circle. It was certainly one of the more complex carvings he had seen.

“A rune?” Kiyoko clarified. “Like, someone’s turned that boulder into a runestone?”

Kindaichi shrugged, it was all a mystery to him. “I guess? Like it’s glowing.”

He heard the rattle of buckles as Kiyoko vaulted over the wall and appeared next to him. She peered at the boulder, tucking some strands of hair that had come loose from her ponytail behind her ear as she squinted.

“…I don’t like it.” She huffed. “It seems to know we’re here.”

Kindaichi gave her an odd look. “It’s a rock.”

“A rock that’s got a _glowing rune_ marked on it.”

“I mean—” Kindaichi now understood that his defence was rather weak. “Okay, you have a point I guess.”

“I may not believe in ghosts and such, but I was turned into a dragon by a slightly crazy mage remember? I like to think I can trust my gut instinct around magic.”

Kindaichi nodded. “Okay, yeah...sorry. So what now?”

“I think Moniwa needs to see it, he’ll have a better idea what we’re looking at.”

With little reason to argue, Kindaichi nodded and vaulted over the wall to grab Raimei. “I’ll go get him, shall I bring the Tsukishima dude?”

“No.” Kiyoko abruptly replied. “Leave him there. I just want Moniwa, maybe Nishinoya if he’s so inclined.”

Kindaichi nodded and spurred Raimei to a gallop. He returned to the camp to find Akaashi asleep, but the rest of the party awake and in various states of concern. He wasted no time in explaining him and Kiyoko had found ‘something’ - staying vague to prevent panic - and wanted Moniwa to look at it before they made any other decisions. The scholar accepted the task, allowing Kindaichi to help him up onto the stallion’s back.

There was still an odd feeling in the air that only heightened as Moniwa examined the glowing engraving on the boulder.

“Hm.” He scratched his chin. “That’s…something.”

Kiyoko and Kindaichi exchanged a glance. “What is it?” Kiyoko pressed.

Moniwa crouched down, narrowing his eyes at the rune. He clicked his teeth as he traced the lines in the air with his finger. The pulsing of the rune didn’t seem to alter, it was a steady rhythm almost like a heartbeat, no sound emanated from it as it continued pulsing.

“…I think,” Moniwa sighed, standing up and turning to them both. “I think it’s a warding rune.”

“A what?” Kindaichi asked.

“I don’t know much about them, they’re briefly mentioned in accounts of sorcery long ago. What I’ve read indicates they are used to ward off certain beings - spiritual ones mainly - but one or two accounts state they can be altered to stop more specific beings from entering an area.”

“Specific things, like travelling envoys from a rival kingdom?” Kiyoko suggested.

“Possible, but that would require the caster to…know or have reasonable suspicion to expect one.”

“So what are they — whomever it is — trying to keep out?” Kindaichi folded his arms across his chest. “Cause it’s not done anything since we found it.”

Moniwa rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced towards camp. “Well, not to you.”

“Eh?”

Kiyoko paled slightly as she recalled how Akaashi acted when she snapped him out of his thoughts. Nishinoya’s hands were sparking beyond his control and there was a sense of unease about whether Hinata would experience something.

“Mages.” She filled in the blank. “It’s…warding against mages?”

“It’s hard to say, it’s certainly affecting them. It may not be warding in the sense of keeping them out, it may simply warn the caster of their presence.”

“I _told_ you it knew we were here.” Kiyoko turned to Kindaichi.

“He said ‘may’.” Kindaichi pointed out.

Moniwa sighed. “Look, it’s not a dangerous rune. As in it’s not going to explode or set anything on fire. But we should be cautious when the others pass through the area. This could just be one of many.”

Kiyoko huffed, glancing back at their camp in the distance. “Well, I guess we get to tell Suga the good news.”


	21. Uncharted Territory

**XX**

**Uncharted Territory**

 

The ship lurched to the left slowly as the brisk easterly winds took to the sails. Land was closer than it had been the past few days, which meant they were closing in on their destination. The coastline was rugged from the frequent storms it weathered, but the forests stood tall and unyielding to the strong winds. Waves crashed against the rocks that jutted out of the ocean as the ship was expertly steered around them.

“Finally, the port.” Kenma breathed as the ship turned towards the small cluster of buildings. He was ready to get off the ship once and for all, to find the others and try to piece together what he had missed.

“No-one disembarks until Misaki gives the all clear.” Bobata told the guild brothers who were gathering at the side of the ship. “We need to make sure there isn’t gonna be any trouble for us here.”

Daichi nodded, turning to Yaku and Kuroo respectfully. “Bokuto’s gathering the horses, yes?”

“Yup, and we know that we have to head directly north of here to find the others.” Yaku replied. “And we’re not stopping for any reason until we find them.”

Kuroo nodded in agreement, his shoulder now free from bandages as the ink had dried and his skin was scabbing over. He looked out over the port village with an air of suspicion. This was the eastern part of the kingdom, folk out here weren’t renown for liking visitors - their trip to Kaiganzoimura had been a taste of that hospitality already.

The ship docked, Misaki patrolled the deck as she waited for one of the port workers to meet them. She kept a hand firmly on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice. Once she had confirmed they were safe from trouble, she gave the word for the guild brothers to depart.

Daichi watched as Bokuto and Tanaka led Yuki and Amaya off the ship and adjusted their saddles for the trip ahead. He turned to Misaki and offered his hand in parting.

“Thanks for the help.” He smiled. “We’ll let you know how this all pans out.”

Misaki returned his smile and gripped his hand in a firm handshake. “No problem, we’ll keep our ears out for the Serpents, until next time Sawamura.”

Daichi joined the rest of his party on the dockside. They didn’t waste time in leaving the small village, they didn’t want to get distracted from the task at hand. The road into the wilderness was clearer than he expected, but it wasn’t without its pitfalls. Large tree roots and boulders frequently blocked the trail and had to be navigated around, but they remained in high spirits as the trees covered them from the northerly winds that were now bearing down on them from the mountains.

There hadn’t been any word from the others since they declared they’d be taking the old trading route to Tobu Misaki-Mura, so Yaku had plotted their route accordingly all the way up to the border. Once inside the new territory, all bets were off.

“So, realistically what do you think we’ll find there?” Tanaka asked as they walked at a relaxed pace.

“A lot of razed buildings if history is to be believed,” Kenma replied, savouring the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet as Lev trotted ahead of the party. The feline’s eyes were wide as he took in unfamiliar surroundings, eager to explore but equally knowing it was better to stay with the group.

“Okay but what about people?” Tanaka pressed. “Like, an entire kingdom lived there, and no-one’s heard of them since? It’s weird.”

Yaku and Kuroo exchanged a glance as Bokuto hummed in thought. This was going to be another lengthy debate that wouldn’t end for hours.

“Well, an eruption would cause many to flee,” Bokuto said. “so I imagine many fled the immediate area either to the west or the north. The empire isn’t too far away, and if they settled somewhere then maybe they wouldn’t bother returning.”

At the mention of the Empire, Kuroo snorted. “Please, that empire is unstable as anything. Last I heard, they found a successor for the empress but the kid didn’t really want it.”

“I mean who would?” Yaku retorted. “Like, being king of a single kingdom is hard enough, let alone ruler of several that your predecessor has ‘gained’ in less than peaceful means.”

Daichi sighed. He tuned out Bokuto and Tanaka’s continuation of the conversation, admiring the new surroundings they were in; the trees were taller in this part of the realm, their branches thicker and sprawling out like spider’s legs. A dense layer of leaves and branches created cover from the sun and wind alike, making the forest feel like it was sealed off from the elements entirely.

It was obvious that few ventured around these parts on foot as the trails got narrower and more obstructed by the forces of nature. It would be easy to trek through the foliage if they didn't have the horses, but at some point, Daichi felt they’d have little option but to coax both mares through the uncharted terrain.

“So as I said, if other places seemed much better than the now ruined kingdom, of course the subjects under House Kageyama wouldn’t return.” Bokuto rounded off his argument.

“Especially if, like House Oikawa, they believe the bloodline to have been killed off.” Yaku added.

Tanaka huffed. “You’re saying we’ll just find a bunch of empty houses?”

“Probably.” Kenma shrugged. “Maybe one or two residents who were stubborn about staying. But we’re definitely not going to find a sprawling city like Tanishiti. There’d be no way they would’ve gone by unnoticed.”

“Not unless House Oikawa is literally blind that is.” Kuroo remarked under his breath.

Throughout the discussion, Lev had been taking the lead on the party with Daichi, picking his way through the trailside plants and exploring what he could without getting lost. As they came upon a large tree trunk blocking the trail entirely, Daichi ended up following Lev into the forest before beckoning the others to follow.

“Huh, maybe he has a use after all.” Kenma remarked as Lev found them a new trail to follow, this one ran alongside a small stream and gave them an opportunity to water the horses.

“Cold water.” Bokuto stated, dipping his hand into the fast flowing water. “It’s coming from a mountain spring probably.”

“Which means if we follow it upstream, we’ll find the border.” Yaku nodded, rummaging around in Amaya’s pack for the map. Such a small waterway wouldn’t be marked, but they could guess where they were given how far they had walked.

“Stupid question,” Tanaka said. “but do we have a rendezvous point with the others or nah?”

Daichi and Kuroo exchanged a glance. On the account no-one knew what was on the other side of the border — whether the old taverns and inns existed anymore — there hadn’t been a solid idea of where they could meet.

“Well,” Kuroo huffed, patting Yuki’s neck as she gently headbutted him for attention. “I guess we’ll get to the border and see what’s on the other side. I think the general idea was for us to meet at the first tavern or inn we come across.”

The answer seemed to satisfy Tanaka. The party finished resting and the continued to follow the trail that Lev had found them. It was a lot smoother than the last and had fewer boulders and tree roots sprawling across it. Every so often they’d come across a section of ground that was lined with old stones, almost like a paved road, prompting them to assume this used to be an old trading route to the south.

Conversation, for the most part, died away, each of them engrossed in their own thoughts about what they had experienced in Kitamine and how they were going to explain it all to the others when they finally reunited with them.

It went without saying that Kuroo was anxious to see Akaashi again. He had felt uneasy since discovering that the Serpents were gone, made worse when he found out that the Wolves of the Waves had known about their dealings but failed to stop them. He just wanted to have the other back in his arms, to feel the familiar calm that Akaashi always emanated whenever they were together.

* * *

 

Hinata wasn’t oblivious. He knew there was something everyone was keeping from him. From the moment he had awoken that day to Suga trying to comfort Akaashi, he’d known something was off. Nishinoya had deflected all talk about it, even when his hands sparked without obvious direction. Kindaichi and Kiyoko had left in a hurry, only for Kindaichi to return and whisk Moniwa away.

Hinata knew there was something wrong, but it wasn’t just a feeling of unease that was causing it. He had met Tsukishima’s gaze several times that morning, yet the other had merely ignored any attempt to start a conversation. Instead, Kunimi had been the one to talk to Hinata, to distract him from how insistent Akaashi was being about a ‘light on the border’, to accept his request to spar again before they got on the road.

“Why is no-one telling me what’s going on?” Hinata asked Kunimi as most of the party got together for a hushed conversation that they weren’t invited to.

Kunimi chose his words carefully, not wanting to worry Hinata. “Basically, Akaashi and I saw some weird light last night and it seems that Akaashi stayed up all night to watch it, exhausting himself in the process. At least, that’s all _I_ know about it.”

“A light on the border?” Hinata asked. “What kind? Like lightning? A candle?”

Kunimi shrugged. “It was kinda like a flaming torch, I dunno really. Akaashi took over watch so if it changed then…” He trailed off, gesturing to nothing in particular. “Look, I’m sure everyone’s just freaked out because of the state Akaashi was in. It was kind of weird.”

Hinata nodded, understanding that at least Kunimi was being honest with him, which was slightly ironic given that they used to be at odds with each other.

“Anyway, I doubt we’re moving until Akaashi’s gotten some rest, so we can have that sparring session now.”

“Sure. I wanna actually do something other than walk all day y’know?” Hinata grinned. Kunimi returned it with his own smile and stood up from the campfire to stretch.

As Kunimi fastened his gauntlets, Hinata summoned some flames from his fingertips to test the wind direction. They were a fair few paces away from the camp now, giving both the party and themselves some space to breathe. They had been on the road for a while now, not the longest journey by any means but one with more serious connotations.

“Hand to hand combat or with blades?” Kunimi asked Hinata, withdrawing his daggers and inspecting the metal.

“Hand to hand, I’ll hold off on the fire this time.” Hinata grinned.

With a nod, Kunimi sheathed his blades and adjusted the leather bindings on his wrists, the iron plating covered his knuckles glinting in the sunlight as Hinata squared up to him. He threw the first punch, narrowly missing Hinata’s forehead as he ducked. They traded blows, kicking up the dust and dirt as they dodged and dove around. Kunimi got Hinata into a headlock and threw him to the floor abruptly. Hinata gritted his teeth as he scrambled to his feet and resisted the urge to summon any element to return the gesture with.

As Hinata ran at Kunimi, he sprang into the air and kicked him in the chest. Kunimi fell backwards, sprawling out on the dirt momentarily. He grunted as he sat up in time to see Hinata’s attention be stolen by a spectator to their fight.

“Well, I expected you to be evenly matched.” Tsukishima remarked as Kunimi stood up and dusted himself off.

“We’re not?” Hinata flashed Kunimi a puzzled look.

Tsukishima chuckled. “No.”

“Do you have anything useful to say?” Kunimi sighed. “We’re kinda busy.”

“Only that Sugawara wishes to move the party onwards.” Tsukishima shrugged. “Akaashi has been given some sort of poultice so is apparently fit to travel.”

Hinata and Kunimi exchanged a glance, neither speaking as Tsukishima turned on his heel and began walking back towards camp. Kunimi spat at the ground, sighing heavily as he watched the outsider walk out of earshot.

“I don’t like him.” He uttered.

“Is it cause he’s a mage?” Hinata asked.

“No,” Kunimi shook his head. “it's because he knows more than he’s letting on.”

Hinata tilted his head to the side. “How do you figure that?”

“It’s a standard for those in the royal court; never reveal all your cards. There is no way he’s been totally open with us, I mean you heard how he spoke about the academies and how Akaashi immediately argued with him.”

“Well…” Hinata picked at a new wound on his hand, the scabbing skin peeling away a little. “maybe him and Akaashi have had different experiences?”

Kunimi didn’t look convinced, he was still watching as Tsukishima approached the camp that was slowly being packed up.

“I don’t like the royal family, or any of the politics that come with them. And I find it very odd how Tooru would willingly parade an empath mage around as a ‘trusted scout’.”

Hinata’s puzzled expression remained, prompting Kunimi to continue.

“You and I know that mages in general are suspicious, but empath mages can hide their powers much better than elementals which is why they’re seen to be more of a threat. That’s why Akaashi left home, that’s why Kenma is adamant about being an alchemist first and mage second, that’s why I find it _really_ fucking weird as to why _he_ is the scout sent with us when literally any non-mage scout would’ve sufficed.”

It clicked in Hinata’s head.

“But don’t repeat any of that to the others.” Kunimi added as Hinata followed his gaze. “Right now we need to keep everyone from lashing out, and that includes the snarky bastard himself. Just be careful when talking to him yeah? And try not to be left alone, gods only know what kind of fuckery he’ll unleash.”

It was a fairly chilling warning, Hinata nodded as he heeded Kunimi’s words. As much as they didn’t necessarily want to believe Tsukishima, they began walking back to camp to see if Suga really was planning to leave so soon.

“We don’t have time to waste.” Suga explained when Kunimi asked why they weren’t waiting for Akaashi to rest more. “Especially given Akaashi’s condition, I’d rather get this done and over with so we can go home.”

Kunimi raised an eyebrow, nodding in agreement as the camp was dismantled around him and Hinata. He chose not to ask about the supposed poultice, nor what state Akaashi was really in. When he got the chance to, he was going to ask Kindaichi what was found at the border and why it had everyone spooked.

Hinata diligently helped Nishinoya and Kiyoko load Raimei’s saddle, neither of them telling him anything as buckles were fastened and ropes tied up. He cast a glance to Akaashi who was sat with Moniwa drinking some kind of hot beverage, the last thing the campfire had been used for before it was put out. The other’s pale complexion didn’t bode well, neither did it provide Hinata any solid clues as to what had happened beyond what Kunimi had told him.

Once both horses were ready, Suga prompted the party to move on. Kiyoko took point once more but allowed Kindaichi to take charge of the stallion, she kept her hand on the hilt of her katana, her gaze focused on the crumbling wall ahead of them. A strong northern wind kept conversation to a minimum between the party members, the only words uttered were in connection with their path east as the old trading route veered off towards the dense forest.

Picking their way through the bracken and dead grass, Hinata replayed Kunimi’s warning in his mind trying to made sense of it all. His humble upbringing in a small village hadn’t prepared him to deal with such cloak-and-dagger politics that it seemed Kunimi was well-versed in. He watched Kiyoko and Kindaichi exchanging glances as the stone wall beckoned them, there seemed to be no easy way through, no gate or natural parting in the wall.

“Nishinoya.” Suga stated once they were close enough to confirm there was no way through without walking the length of the wall.

“Yeah?” The other replied.

“Blow a hole in the wall.”

“Are you fucking mad?” Kunimi cut in as Nishinoya cracked his knuckles.

“Quiet Akira.” Kindaichi murmured, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder. “There’s no other way through unless we delay our crossing by several days.”

“Surely following the old trading route would give us a gate—”

“It will not.” Suga sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We’ve followed it as far as it goes before turning to go through some mountain passes that we don’t have time to navigate.”

Nishinoya held his hands out in front of him, palms facing the stone wall. His fingers sparked erratically as he calmed his breathing. Blue and white flashes cracked between fingertips as he swallowed, he clenched his jaw as he let his eyes close.

“I hope you’re ready to deal with whatever left that rune.” Moniwa whispered to Suga. “Using magic to punch through the wall will surely arouse suspicion.”

Suga let out a low whistle, looking to Akaashi. The gaze of the other yielded little in the way of expression, but he nodded in return. “We’ll be on guard, that’s the least we can do.” He replied to Moniwa as Nishinoya took an abrupt intake of breath.

A blinding flash of blue light preceded the crash of thunder. Rocks, dust and dirt flew into the air as the power of the mage’s element shattered the wall. Both Hotaru and Raimei startled slightly but were calmed by Kindaichi’s voice. As the dust cleared, the new narrow passage was revealed to them, just wide enough for a horse to fit through as Kiyoko nudged a small boulder away with the heel of her boot.

With her hand still ready to draw her weapon, she stepped into the uncharted lands. Eyes scanned the land like a hawk, not leaving anything up to guess as she deemed it safe to bring the rest of the party through. Despite not knowing why everyone was on edge, Kunimi fell into his roll of scout, taking the leftmost point whilst Nishinoya took the right, leaving Kiyoko in the middle.

The strong wind was evident still as they continued onwards. Hinata stuck by Kindaichi, finding solace in how he felt at ease in this foreign land. It didn’t look much different from the realm he called home, but the feeling in the air was different and he couldn’t pinpoint why.

“So, how far do you reckon we have to walk to get to a road?” Akaashi asked.

“I’m guessing half a day’s ride?” Moniwa glanced to the northern mountains and then to the southern forest.

Tsukishima snorted. “Not in this direction.”

“Great tell, which direction then?” Akaashi quipped.

Tsukishima adjusted the eyeglasses perched on his nose. “We need to go southwards a little more, there’s likely to be a path from the coast.”

Suga saw Akaashi’s eye twitch slightly, the fact Tsukishima made a logical point evidently irritating him a little. With little reason to argue with the scout, Suga called for the party to gradually move south towards the forest. When asked why he simply stated he didn’t want to be caught in a storm on the flatlands again and that seemed good enough for the party.

As they adjusted their path to enter the forest, Kiyoko was subtly investigating every boulder and tree stump they passed for any additional runes. She didn’t want to lead any of them towards anything that would have adverse effects again.

“Say, do you think we’ll get in trouble for busting a hole in the border?” Nishinoya hummed as they closed ranks a little more to talk over the wind.

“We’re on the king’s business.” Kiyoko reasoned.

“Somehow I don’t think any living heir of House Kageyama would be overly enthusiastic about Tooru allowing us to destroy the border…” Kunimi chuckled. “But hey, we could deny involvement and claim a freak lightning storm happened…which isn’t that far from the truth.”

Nishinoya laughed. “True, shame Bokuto wasn’t here, he would’ve loved blowing it up.”

The forest loomed in front of them; tall trees with trunks thicker than any they had seen before. Each one looked like it could easily support a house in its upper branches, the network of which sprawled out above them knitting a complex cobweb. The leaves and pine needles were still clinging to the branches, forming a canopy which blocked out most of the sunlight as they rustled in the wind.   
Down on the forest floor tree roots rose from the dirt rearing up like horses, making navigating more difficult than the last few days they had experienced. The sheer denseness of the forest left them feeling dwarfed between the trees, the foliage stretching on for what seemed like forever. There was a strong smell of pine in the air as they walked between the trees, dried pine needles snapping underfoot.

“Do the trees here seem…weird to any of you?” Hinata asked, looking to Moniwa as if he knew the answer to everything.

“They’re like pine trees, but not.” Nishinoya added. “They got upper branches like an oak tree from the western forests.”

“My guess, the trees have inter-bred at some point.” Moniwa gazed up at the canopy. “The hardy nature of a pine tree but the build of an oak.”

Suga waited to see if Tsukishima was going to correct any of them, but he merely nodded and took in the surroundings with them.

“Weird, why’d they do that?” Hinata was paying more attention to the trees than where he was walking and as a result tripped over a tree root, face-planting the floor with a thud.

Once Kiyoko picked him up and dusted him off, Moniwa went on to reply;

“Weather changes probably, this kind of growth would be ages in the making. I doubt anyone alive today knows what this area looked like beforehand.”

Casting his eyes around, it didn’t take long for Hinata to hone in on the bright fungi that seemed very out of place in such earthy tones. He scampered over to the mushrooms, their domed heads springing forth from the otherwise dead tree trunk.

“Blue Shrooms.” He acknowledged as Akaashi joined him.

“Don’t touch them for the love of the gods.” The other sighed.

“Why are they blue?”

Akaashi had to admit, blue mushrooms were a new thing to him. “I don’t know but I’m going to take a wild guess and say you shouldn’t try to eat it.”

Hinata pouted, partly at the idea that Akaashi assumed he was that dumb and partly at how little seemed to be known about them. “Can we collect them? Maybe Kenma knows?”

Akaashi and Nishinoya exchanged a glance but neither objected to the idea. A small leather pouch was dug out of the supplies and Moniwa carefully picked two of the fungi for Kenma to look into at a later point.

“So we keep an eastward direction,” Suga stated after looking over the map with Kiyoko and Tsukishima. “and hope we find a pathway?”

“Sounds like the most sensible plan right now, at least we’re shaded from the wind and rain here.” Kiyoko nodded.

“The worst that’ll happen is we hit the cove,” Suga pointed to the edge of the coastline where the sea had worn away the cliffs over time. “but we can then head directly north straight for Tobu Misaki-Mura.”

Tsukishima didn’t object, he nodded in agreement and watched Suga rally the party to move on from the fascinating fungi.


	22. Ambushed

**XXI**

**Ambushed**

The night had set in quickly as they continued to follow Lev through the forest. Although fatigue gnawed at them, they continued onwards by the light of two flaming torches. Shadows shifted around them within the trees, the distant screech of an owl had spooked Tanaka twice already, much to Bokuto’s amusement. He had hooted back at it until Yaku snapped at him to quit making so much noise.  
Being so deep into an unfamiliar forest had them all a little more on edge, their sense of adventure hadn’t diminished but they weren’t naive enough to think they were totally safe. Lev’s ears would perk up every now and then, stilling on the trail as his tail thrashed about in the low lying ferns. As quickly as his attention was caught by something in the shadows, he would go back to walking beside Daichi.

“Do you think there are bears out here?” Tanaka asked, changing which hand was holding the torch.

“Probably,” Kuroo replied, running Yuki’s reins through his fingers as the mare plodded along with no complaints “and wolves.”

“And what is our plan if they attack?” Yaku asked, looking to Bokuto. “Cause I seem to remember a certain pack of wolves nearly killing us last time we were in a place like this.”

“Yeah but that was a haunted marshland…forest…swamp thing.” Bokuto waved dismissively, getting a scowl from the other. “And it was just you and me who were really skilled in close combat like that.”

“Kunimi can pack a punch when he needs to.” Yaku shrugged.

“And Hinata can create all sorts of problems.” Bokuto grinned. “My point is, we’re like the best of the best out here, a pack of wolves aren’t gonna stand a chance—”

The sound of a large branch snapping cut Bokuto off, causing the party to freeze in their tracks. Lev’s eyes fixed on the foliage to their left; large ferns prevented the firelight penetrating the darkness, the leaves shifting slightly as Daichi drew his sword and stepped towards them. Both Amaya and Yuki tried tugging themselves free from their handler’s grasp, stomping hooves against the dirt when Kuroo and Tanaka refused to let them flee.

“Easy does it.” Bokuto breathed, drawing his own blade and stepping forward with Daichi.

A sound to the right of the trail startled the horses further. Yaku gritted his teeth as he scanned the nearby trees for footholds. Kenma glanced between the two sides of the trail as Yaku began climbing up the nearest tree, there hadn’t been any sign of either bears or wolves but that didn’t mean they weren’t around. He flexed his fingers as he prepared to defend himself against whatever emerged from the shadows.

“On my count, you pull back the fern.” Daichi nodded to Bokuto. “One, two, three—”

Bokuto tore back the fern to reveal nothing but more foliage. He stepped off the trail to investigate further but found nothing but plants and fallen branches. On the other side of the trail, it had gone silent. Kuroo and Tanaka watched the darkness as both horses continued to express their displeasure at the situation.

“Is it possible we’re all just paranoid?” Kenma asked, watching Yaku reach the first layer of branches that could support his weight. “We’re in a dark forest, one we’ve never ventured into before, it’s nighttime, and we know that this part of the realm is less-than-friendly.”

“Yeah,” Daichi sighed, sheathing his sword. “See anything Yaku?”

They glanced up to see Yaku had disappeared into the darkness, only the rustling of leaves gave him away. Lev’s gaze was on the trail in front of them as he chirped quietly, barely audible to most of them. Kenma crouched down to his level, trying to see what he was looking at other than the vague outlines of the trees.

“What do you see?” He whispered, gently patting Lev’s head.

He let out another chirp, ears twitching and moving as the rustling overhead stopped and Yaku let himself drop down, rolling into his fall before standing up.

“So there’s a light, it’s kinda blue in colour.”

“Blue?”

Yaku nodded. “I really hope it’s not one of those wisp things that I encountered, but it could be something else?”

Before anyone could question it further, Lev abruptly set off at a fast pace. Kenma blinked in confusion before alerting the others. Yaku sighed heavily and set off at a sprint, knowing he’d be the only one who’d have a hope in hell of keeping pace with the feline whilst the other’s caught up. Lev bounded along the trail, slipping into the shadows with his grey fur blending in easily. Yaku cussed under his breath as he reached into his pocket for his rune stone that would light the way a little. With the dim white light, he could barely keep Lev’s tail in sight as they ran.

Yaku saw him halt abruptly, the soft chirping sounding almost too loud in the otherwise silent surroundings. He watched Lev sniff the ground before padding into the foliage.

“You’ve got to be kidding me Lev…”

A loud meow preceded Lev’s head popping up out of the bushes and startling Yaku. His wide green eyes drew Yaku to see what the hell he had taken off after. By the light of his rune stone, Yaku peeled back the ferns and bushes until he found a large rock jutting out of the dirt, moss covered the top of it but left a flat surface down one side exposed.

In the middle of the flat face was a glowing blue carving.

“Well this has bad news written all over it.” Yaku sighed. ”Don’t touch it— why the gods am I talking to a cat?”

Lev tilted his head to the side as Yaku rubbed his forehead. The sound of hooves striking dirt prompted Yaku to step back out onto the trail and wave his rune stone in a signal. Once the entire party had arrived, Yaku showed them the craving.

“Huh,” Kenma uttered. “That’s…new.”

“You mean you don’t know what it is?” Bokuto asked. “You don’t know what it is?”

Kenma jabbed him in the side. “I don’t know everything Bokuto,” he said, stepping forward as Bokuto rubbed his ribs with a scowl. “but I do know that this looks like a rune.”

There was a pang in his forehead as Kenma crouched down to look at it. The symbol had a circular outline, an inverted arrowhead and a triangle merged together within it. Atop the triangle a smaller circle had been carved, a tiny swirl barely noticeable within it. The entire carving gave off a faint blue glow, pulsating like a heartbeat.

“So if it is a rune, what is it for?” Daichi crossed his arms over his chest as Tanaka moved the torch closer at Kenma’s request.

Kenma regarded the rune closely, the short pang of pain in his forehead made him wince slightly as he fixed his gaze on the pulsing outlines. He chewed on his lip as the headache grew a little more.

“It’s not a…it’s not a known one.” Kenma eventually answered. “It’s one that someone’s designed for a specific purpose.”

“Why is it out here though?” Tanaka huffed.

“Someone obviously put it here for a reason.” Kenma replied. “Though what that reason is, who knows.”

Kuroo dug around the supply packs for the map, he scanned the inked lines under the light of the torch Daichi carried.

“We’re…not that far away from the border.” He murmured, pointing to the thick black line that separated the two kingdoms.

“Are you sure?” Daichi peered over his shoulder. “Cause I think we’ve walked quite far…”

Bokuto watched as Kenma winced again, he gently ruffled the other’s hair and beckoned him to move away from the rune. “I say we just keep moving.” He announced. “Keep an eye out for any more of them.”

“Sounds like a decent plan.” Yaku nodded. “The sooner we find the others, the better.”

Kuroo and Daichi sensed the others didn’t care for where they thought they were on the map, being in the forest was enough for them. They just had to keep walking and hope it all panned out in the end.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Dirt was churned up by the horse hooves as they kept walking. Kindaichi held the flaming torch in one hand and Raimei’s reins in the other, following Kiyoko’s form in the shadows. The ground was uneven as they moved deeper into the forest but they had gotten used to going at a slower pace by now.

“Aren’t we going to camp?” Tsukishima quietly asked Suga, the first he had spoken in hours as no-one had tried to talk to him directly.

“No,” Suga replied. ”It’s not that suitable.”

“How so?”

Suga cast his eyes around the thick tree trunks and the sprawling branches in the darkness. There were far too many directions they could be attacked from.

“This isn’t exactly a good spot.” He shrugged. “The ground is too uneven and the horses have nowhere to get water from.”

Tsukishima took a moment to nod in reply. “So we’re walking all night?”

“Until we find a decent spot, yeah.” Suga answered.

There was an unspoken feeling that questioning Suga’s choice was not an option. The party fell back into silence, the quiet of the forest both calming and unsettling in equal measures. Calming due to the lack of obvious threats, a far cry from crowded marketplaces, yet unsettling because they were all much more used to louder surroundings. The firelight staved off the darkness a little, bringing come comfort as the silence went on.

“Hey,” Kunimi turned to look at Suga. “do you know how deep we are?”

Suga shook his head. “I was hoping we’d be able to stay in sight of the edge but evidently not.”

“Do you want me to climb up into the trees and have a look?”

“It’s too dark really to see anything?” Hinata pointed out.

Kunimi shrugged. “Can’t hurt? I might be able to see the moon and figure out where north is.”

Kiyoko and Kindaichi halted the party at the conversation sparking into life. Kunimi adjusted his gauntlets as he looked around for a tree to climb, trying to work out how he was going to navigate the upper branches in the dark.

“So I’ll get up there, look around, and I’ll come straight back.” He assured Suga and Akaashi.

“Be careful.” Suga told him as he set off to the tree of his choice.

They watched as he launched himself up onto the trunk and then swiftly climb towards the first layer of branches. Twigs snapped under his weight, leaves and pine needles rustled and fell towards the floor. Kindaichi fixed his gaze on the tree as Kiyoko and Nishinoya took the opportunity to give the horses some food whilst they were stopped. The rustling faded as Kunimi travelled higher, almost ceasing completely at one point. Kindaichi swallowed as he heard another twig snap.

“…he’s spotted something.” Kindaichi told Suga.

Within a few seconds, the rustling started again, frantic and increasing in volume. As loose leaves fluttered to the floor, Kunimi emerged abruptly. Once on solid ground again and had a chance to catch his breath, he explained himself.

“Torches, not too far ahead.”

Suga raised an eyebrow, they hadn’t seen a single soul since they entered the forest. There had been no signs of settlements amongst the trees, no footprints or trail markers, animal tracks were few and far between.

“Get back into the treetops and guide us towards them,” Suga told Kunimi, slinging his bow off of his shoulder as he turned to the others. “Prepare for a fight.”

A nod of understanding passed over the group, weapons were drawn as Kunimi ascended into the lower layer of branches, visible to them whilst also being able to guide them towards the glow of the mystery torches. Hinata flexed his fingers as he walked beside Nishinoya, neither of them summoning anything until their target was sighted; blades could hide in the shadows easily, flames and bolts of lightning not so much.

Kiyoko took point, holding her katana in a loose but steady grip as she followed Kunimi’s path. The sentry could see two torches clearly between the ferns, though beyond that he was quite literally in the dark.

“There’s at least two of them.” He relayed in a loud whisper. “But there aren’t any voices.”

“Be extra careful not to make a noise then.” Akaashi glanced pointedly at Hinata and Nishinoya.

“I’ll engage on sight, the rest of you flank them.” Kiyoko whispered over her shoulder.

The horses had been given over to Tsukishima and Moniwa who were heading up the rear of the party, keeping a safe distance from the violence that could potentially erupt. Kindaichi and Akaashi moved on Kiyoko’s orders, Kunimi watched from overhead trying to pinpoint how many targets they were looking at from between the dense layers of foliage. He could hear the striking of hooves against dirt and the rattle of leather buckles but whoever they were about to jump, they weren’t in a talking mood as they walked along the trail.

“I got this.” Suga breathed, securing the light rope to the end of an arrow before readying his shot. The rope hung down, coiling on the ground as he knelt amongst the foliage. “I shoot this across to that tree, we pull on the end and trip them up.”

“You sure about that?” Nishinoya asked as Kunimi got into prime position to watch the torchlight grow closer.

“Hey, it’s less lethal than some of Bokuto’s other ideas for ambushing.”

Nishinoya couldn’t argue with that.

Suga counted the footsteps as he let out a small sigh, there were several people so they’d be in for a long skirmish. He put that out of his mind as he focused his gaze between the branches of the bush he was using as cover, the moss-covered tree trunk across the trail was squarely in his sight and there was no wind to speak of.

He released the arrow. Nishinoya held onto the end of the rope as the whoosh of the arrow through leaves preceded the thud of it biting the bark. Rope twanged as Suga and Nishinoya pulled hard and resisted against moving when ankles came into contact with it. Several confused squawks rose into the air as Kiyoko, Kindaichi and Akaashi sprung from cover to engage in their foes.

Everyone froze once out in the open, gazed locked with those they were supposedly going to kill.

“Uh, I believe there may have been a mix-up…” Kindaichi laughed nervously as he found himself staring down the polished blade of Daichi’s sword.

“Ya think?” Bokuto remarked from the forest floor, Kiyoko’s katana perilously close to his nose. “Have to say, that tripwire arrow is amazing.”

“ _You_ invented it you idiot.” Yaku scoffed, sheathing his daggers now the danger was over.

Suga sighed heavily as Akaashi helped Tanaka off the ground from where he had tripped. The groups mingled as they dusted one another off before the obvious change was brought to everyone’s attention.

“Who’s that?” Tanaka narrowed his eyes at Tsukishima.

“This is the guy who has to follow me to make sure I don’t fuck up again.” Kunimi shrugged.

“I mean, that’s one way of putting my role…” Tsukishima muttered before straightening his posture and smirking slightly as he met Daichi and Kuroo’s gaze. “I’m Kei Tsukishima, scout for his majesty King Tooru, the rightful king of the southwestern realm.”

Bokuto joined Tanaka in raising an eyebrow at the statement.

“Uh huh.” Bokuto nodded.

“If you say so.” Tanaka added.

“How about,” Suga intervened before a war of wits or words broke out “we set up a fire and tell each other what we know, discuss the current plan and such?”

“Agreed.” Daichi was quick to put the near argument to bed. “There’s a lot to unpack.”

 

* * *

 

The map stretched out across the table, fading colours catching the light streaming in from the large windows of the hall. The inked borders of the realm and beyond stood out the most with their thick black lines cutting across regions that once belonged to kingdoms long gone. Tooru cast his eyes over the kingdom he had inherited; the rolling fields that separated Tanishiti from Kōshi, the mountain passes that lead westward to Kitamine, the wilderness that stretched east towards the border. His kingdom was bordered by land and sea, reaping the benefits of the warm climate to the south and the harsh mountainous conditions keeping the northern clans at bay to his north.

“I want soldiers patrolling the main roads in and around Tanishiti, Kōshi and Kitamine.” He ordered, watching as the small bronze figurines were placed around the major cities of the kingdom. “I also want the scouts to push north into the unknown wilderness between here and the border.”

“Sire,” Lord Honjou interrupted, his beard quivering as he spoke. “We should focus on stabilising the major settlements, not expanding our reach.”

Tooru snorted. “Quite, and normally I’d agree, however, Captain Yamamoto reported that the Serpents have disappeared from Kitamine and I intend to find out where they’ve gone.” He pointed to the wilderness that had been seldom explored. “This mountain region has barely been set foot on in recent ages, who knows what is lurking here so close to our capital? This could be exposed as a weak spot and I want to at least have an accurate reading of the area when it is.”

There was a murmur of agreement from the other council members. A woman rose from her seat, she was far shorter than the others around her but her wisdom had ensured her place at the table. “Your Majesty, may I ask something?”

“Of course Lady Ise,” Tooru nodded, withdrawing his hand from the map. “What is it?”

She smiled, bowing in gratitude before tucking a stray stand of brunette hair behind her ear. “In regards to the lordship of Kitamine, with Takamatsu residing in my region, who is governing the northern city?”

“I have placed the region’s care in Lady Suzuki’s hands for the time being,” Tooru replied, glancing at the only other Lady to sit on the council. “I see it fit that someone with a reputation for tough love takes control of the city and surrounding areas to stabilise it until I promote another to the position.”

Lady Ise nodded slightly. “I see, so who is governing her parts of the central region?”

“I am.” Lady Suzuki answered, casting a glance down the table. “Is this a problem milady?”

“How can you govern two regions at once?” Lord Makino objected.

“Easily, because I’m not focused on how much ale I can drink in a day.” Lady Suzuki quipped.

“Excuse me?!”

Iwaizumi sighed heavily as the two council members started squabbling. Tooru drummed his fingers on the table, arguments were common within the council and most of the time he let them say their fair share of insults before wading in.

“At least I’m not making it obvious that I’m power hungry.” Lord Makino continued.

“Just because I can actually govern two regions at once and you’re banished to the ass-end of nowhere.”

“Hold up.” Lord Honjou silenced both of them. “I think you’ll find Lady Suzuki, that I’m actually also in charge of the central region, so you’re not technically governing her yourself. Did you forget that?”

Lady Suzuki opened her mouth to object but abruptly reconsidered as Tooru chuckled slightly. Her cheeks flaring red as the king shook his head.

“He is right, milady.” Tooru said with a smirk. “And might it do you some good to think things through before trying to appear more powerful than you are.”

“Your Majesty I only meant—”

“You’re in charge of Kitamine only until I promote one of the nobles in the area to the position. I will not have someone not native to the region governing it. The folks in Kitamine are wary of outsiders, they prefer to take orders from their own.”

“So you’re putting the wishes and wants of savages over smart ruling?” Lord Honjou remarked.

Iwaizumi scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Permission to interject sire?”

“Permission granted.” Tooru didn’t bat an eye as Iwaizumi stepped forward and slammed his hands on the table.

“It’s those ‘savages’ that are the backbone of this entire kingdom,” He stated with a low voice. “when was the last time you lifted your arms to toil in a mine, to harvest a field of crops, to raise cattle for slaughter?”

“I…uh…” Lord Honjou shrunk a little in his chair as the glare of the royal guardsman chilled him to the bone.

“Exactly. You were born into a family in the capital of this kingdom, you never had to work in a field, or risk your life in a mine, slaughter the animals you raised. You haven’t given a single day’s hard labour to keep this kingdom from going hungry or poor, so don’t you dare call them savages when if it wasn’t for them this kingdom wouldn’t be standing today.”

There was a stony silence as Iwaizumi recomposed himself, clearing his throat as he straightened his posture. “My apologies your majesty, I got a little over-passionate.”

Tooru smiled to himself. “I understand Iwaizumi, it happens to the best of us. Though I will say I do agree with your sentiment; we need to treat our people with the respect they deserve.”

“Is that why you stripped Takamatsu of his titles?” Lady Ise asked. “Because he used the people of Kitamine for his own gain?”

Tooru nodded. “Lord Takamatsu was rogue, working with the Blue Serpents to destabilise the region at the very least.”

There was a nod of understanding. Tooru cast his eyes back to the map, mulling over plans to try and keep his kingdom in check.

“If possible, I’d like a small unit of soldiers and scouts to go to each of the smaller settlements and check in with them. I wish to know what my people are in need of be it more roads, more buildings, more food.”

“Every smaller settlement?” Lady Ise asked. “That’s over two dozen.”

“That it is,” Tooru sighed. “And it’ll take a while I know. However, one thing my father was terrible at, was knowing his own people. I intend to put it right and the first step to doing that is by asking the people what they need.”

“It’ll promote stability.” Lord Makino nodded eagerly. “I’ll send a unit out at once.”

“Have the lead scout or commanding officer keep a ledger,” Tooru instructed. “all of the notes will return here for me to assign resources to them all so it’s vital they don’t get mixed up.”

The council nodded. Tooru saw that his work was done for the moment and dismissed them. Iwaizumi stayed rooted to the spot until the large doors of the hall drew to a close and left them alone. He sighed heavily as he relaxed, shaking his head slightly.

“I’m sorry I got so riled up about Honjou’s remark.”

“Think nothing of it Hajime.” Tooru smiled, meeting his gaze. “I like that fire you have about you.”

Iwaizumi laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he began pacing the great hall. “I meant it though, I’m sick of hearing them talk about the people as if they’re…well nothing. If it wasn’t for the people, they wouldn’t have jobs.”

“Tis true, but they’re not exactly the most observant people.” Tooru sighed, rising from his seat and closing the gap between them. “But that’s why I’m the one in charge, and why I seek your council above everyone else’s.”

“Because we’re more observant?” Iwaizumi snorted.

“No, because we’ve seen the effects of what happens if you treat people poorly…the dire effect.”

Iwaizumi watched as Tooru stepped up to the large window that overlooked the edge of the city limits. Beyond the boundary wall was a sparse forest, the wilderness that the two of them used to go hunting in when they were younger.

“Are you still suspicious about your father’s death?” Iwaizumi asked.

Tooru nodded. “I’m not convinced it was merely a fever.”

“Are you entertaining the idea that it was murder?”

Tooru didn’t reply at first, placing his hand against the thin glass that separated them from the fresh air and cool breeze.

“I know my father upset a lot of people, people in the north and the east, with his focus on the central and south. It wouldn’t be beyond the bounds of possibility that one of them…”

Hands gently took hold of Tooru’s shoulders, guiding him to face Iwaizumi and then into a hug. Iwaizumi rubbed his back in a soothing gesture as the king’s breathing hitched slightly and a weak sob came out.

“I know. Your father wasn’t a bad king, just misguided slightly, but he was still your father. He loved you Tooru.”

Tooru nodded.

“All you can do is let this go and focus on what kind of king you’re going to be. Be the king he would want you to be.”

For a moment, Tooru didn’t move, until he pulled back and gave Iwaizumi a smile, letting the other wipe away his tears.

“I’m going to be one that rights the wrongs of his father.” Tooru declared. “And one who’s reign is recorded as the turning point for the kingdom, one for the better.”

Iwaizumi smiled back. “Then I will be here the entire time to support that reign.” He took Tooru’s hand and brought the family ring to his lips, kissing it lightly. “Long live King Tooru of House Oikawa."


	23. Catching up

**XXII**

**Catching Up**

The reunited guild continued through the forest some more until they found a large enough area to set up camp in. A generous fire was made up thanks to the abundance of fallen branches and foliage around them, the warmth of the flames was welcome to their tired cold bodies, as was the highly anticipated stew that Suga was cooking up.

It went without saying that both parties had a lot to tell the other, but Bokuto had declared that everyone should eat first before they launched into the ‘tales of their adventures’. Tanaka took the time to briefly explain the major change that didn’t need too much attention and that was how they acquired Lev. The cat himself was inspecting each of the guild brothers he hadn’t met yet, sniffing their feet and rubbing against their shins as Suga and Moniwa dished out the stew for everyone.

“So,” Daichi sighed as the guild fell quiet, with only the slurping and chewing that accompanied meal times being heard. “Where do we start?”

Nishinoya cleared his throat. “Well we watched a Lord get stripped of his titles.”

“That’s not the beginning though, is it?” Kiyoko remarked with a light laugh. “I say we start when we last saw each other. The letters only explained the vague events, not the entirety of them.”

Daichi and Kuroo shared a glance. The conversation in the belly of the mine came to Daichi’s mind, but he saw no reason to bring it up immediately. He pushed some of the remnants of vegetables around his bowl before nodding.

“Well, we got to Kitamine within a week and true to the rumours, it wasn’t exactly a nice place.”

“Someone threw an axe at Yaku’s head as soon as we entered the gates.” Bokuto shrugged.

“What?!” Suga spluttered.

Yaku snorted. “And the guy who threw it was none other than my little sister’s lover…who is fathering a child with her.”

“…well that escalated quickly.” Tsukishima murmured.

“Oh it gets better.” Tanaka grinned as Yaku continued.

“Yeah, the brat was one of the Serpents’ little henchmen.”

Akaashi set his bowl down with a sigh. “And? Did he have anything of importance to say?”

Daichi shook his head. “Kid just said that they cut him loose when a military unit from House Oikawa showed up two days before we arrived. He didn’t know where they were going, just that the higher-ups weren’t expecting it.”

There were nods of understanding all around the fire.

“It would seem,” Kiyoko caught Suga’s eye briefly. “that the unit Sugawara and I saw return to Tanishiti was the one that went to Kitamine.”

Nishinoya continued the train of thought, “And the Lord that Hinata and I saw get stripped of his titles was probably the one in charge up there.”.

“Stripped of his titles?” Kuroo asked.

“Mhm,” Nishinoya nodded, looking to Hinata “do you remember what that Iwaizumi guy said?”

Hinata focused on recalling the conversation that had been taking place whilst he played with Lev, dangling a piece of rope around for the cat to try pouncing on. “Uh…he was a traitor of House Oikawa…” he chewed on his lip before the memory came to him “ah! Coordinating with ‘enemy forces’, obstructing justice and stealing money from the city fund…I think.”

“You get the gist.” Nishinoya nodded to the others.

“Huh,” Kuroo absentmindedly poked the campfire with a twig. “so the king caught on to him being shady as fuck, sent a unit up there and unintentionally spooked the Serpents into hiding…”

Akaashi glanced at Tsukishima. “What say you? Do you know anything about this?”

Eyes fixed on Tsukishima, he raised an eyebrow at Akaashi but shook his head. “No, I do not. His Majesty does not seek my counsel, I simply do his bidding.”

Kuroo and Bokuto exchanged a glance as the reply hung in the air momentarily. Daichi didn’t dwell too much on Tsukishima’s attitude, opting to continue explaining.

“So we got passage with Misaki’s crew, and she revealed something about their guild that I hadn’t anticipated.”

The attention of the other party was solely focused on Daichi as he mulled over his words.

“In short, they are more than pirates.” He finally uttered. “Her and Yuji gather information for a variety of people and around the time…” he trailed off for a moment before gathering himself. “Around the time Kuroo left the Serpents, they started coming across their victims, the villages they pillaged and stole from and so on. Over the three to four summers since then, Yuji’s been planting members of his guild around to intercept their couriers.”

“Wait,” Akaashi held up a hand “you’re saying Misaki and Yuji knew about the Serpents all this time?”

Daichi nodded.

“I didn’t like it either,” Kuroo interjected before anyone could give a similar reaction to the news “but the Wolves of the Waves are committed to bringing them down with us.”

“How so?” Kiyoko asked.

Daichi smiled slightly. “They swore an oath to me, to stand by us in this fight. They’re offering us information, passage anywhere they can and even sword arms if needs be.”

“We…have an ally?”Suga clarified.

“Yes, yes we do.” Daichi set his bowl down. “So when the Serpents surface, Misaki will send a crow immediately.”

There was a pause as everyone processed this development. Kunimi picked at the ground as he watched the flames dance in the wind. The leaves overhead that were protecting them from any rain but the sound of the wind in the trees wasn’t going unnoticed. Nishinoya worried his lip between his teeth as the sound of distant thunder rumbled through the forest.

“Well, having allies is all well and good, I’m still trying to work out if Tooru is gonna really pardon me after all this.” Kunimi broke the silence. “I’m not convinced to be honest.”

“What are the terms?” Yaku asked.

“I go to the old kingdom of Kageyama, if it’s empty then I have to try and find the crown jewels or something like that and return to the king.”

“And if it isn't?” Tanaka pressed.

“That’s Tooru’s problem, not mine.” Kunimi chuckled. “But that’s why this guy,” He gestured to Tsukishima “is with us. He’s basically gonna vouch for me.”

“Is that right…” Yaku gave Tsukishima the once over, the other held his gaze with a slight smirk. “And who exactly are you?”

“I told you—” Tsukishima began.

“I don’t give a shit about titles,” Yaku scoffed. “Where are you from and what makes you so special?”

Kenma stiffened as Tsukishima chuckled at Yaku’s outburst. The thunder rumbled closer to them. Hinata watched as Tsukishima rolled up his sleeves, revealing the blue-black lines that crisscrossed his arms. He held Yaku’s gaze as the ink began glowing. Akaashi’s hand slowly went to his blade as the group fell silent but stopped short of unsheathing the dagger.

Hinata glanced at Nishinoya who was clenching his fists tightly, blue sparks crackling every few seconds, he then glanced at Kenma who was rubbing his forehead and breathing slightly heavier than usual. Akaashi’s gaze was fixed on Tsukishima as the tattoos glowed brighter, fingers tracing the hilt of his blade as he seemed to consider his actions. Yaku’s expression hadn’t changed since locking eyes with Tsukishima, his hands had clenched into fists but he was regarding Tsukishima with the same hardy stare as before.

Hinata rose to his feet, something was off about all of this and none of the others were stopping it.

“What are you doing?” Kunimi whispered as Hinata held out his hand and summoned a blade of fire.

Hinata shook his head. Yaku hadn’t said a word since Tsukishima revealed his tattoos and the fact that the mage hadn’t broken eye contact didn’t sit right with Hinata.

“Stop it.” Hinata’s voice shook slightly as he brought the tip of his blade in front of Tsukishima’s face, flames licked at the air between them, casting a glow across pale skin. “Whatever you’re doing, stop it.”

Tsukishima chuckled. His fist clenched and Yaku let out a hiss of pain before Tsukishima released the pressure, his tattoos losing their glow immediately.

“He wanted to know what made me so ‘special’, so I showed him.” Tsukishima reasoned as Yaku muttered various curses at him. “I’m sure you can understand how it feels to be under-estimated Hinata.”

“You didn’t have to fuck with his mind.” Akaashi snapped.

“I did not ‘fuck’ with anything.” Tsukishima shrugged. “I merely showed him some of the things I have done to doubters in the past.”

The statement grated with Akaashi. He flashed Suga a glance before excusing himself from the fire. He did not wander far, just enough to see the glow of the fire but not be seen directly. Leaning against the trunk of one of the trees he listened to the thunder, calming his breathing. His head ached as his thoughts fired off in quick succession.

Footsteps alerted him to the presence of another, but he knew those footsteps and welcomed the arms wrapping around him and pulling him close. Leather pressed against his face as he caved into the familiar embrace.

“Hey, hey it’s okay. We didn’t…we didn’t know what he was doing.” Kuroo whispered, rubbing Akaashi’s back. “We didn’t know how drawing our blades on a court scout would look either.”

Akaashi shook his head. “It’s not that.” He pushed himself away to look Kuroo in the eye. “It’s that I’ve done the same thing to our victims…I’m no better than him.”

It was Kuroo’s turn to shake his head. “Keiji, no, don’t think that way—”

“But I’m right Tetsu. I’m no better than him, our only difference is that he’s doing it in service of the crown and I’m not.”

“I hardly call what he did to Morisuke ‘service to the crown’.” Kuroo scoffed, he let out a heavier sigh. “Do you trust him at all?”

“No.” Akaashi didn’t need a second to mull it over. “I don’t. He’s been…he’s been trying to get under our skin since the minute we left the palace.”

“For instance?”

“He questioned why we were hesitant to kill bandits or highwayman, he’s painted academies as horrific places, Kunimi thinks he knows more than he’s letting on about the old kingdom, and he basically just fucked with Yaku’s mind.”

Kuroo hummed in thought, thunder rumbled a little closer to the forest than before. He took Akaashi’s hands in his, running his thumb over the silver band on Akaashi’s finger.

“Okay, well we won’t have to deal with him for much longer.” Kuroo murmured. “I’ll talk to Daichi and Suga about how to deal with—”

“We need to keep him away from…well all of us, the mages. He’s just…” Akaashi trailed off. “I really don’t trust him.”

Kuroo nodded, pulling Akaashi into another hug. “I get you. And we’ll sort it.”

Akaashi could’ve done with staying there for the rest of the night; with Kuroo’s arms around him after so long apart, however, they both knew they had to return. The air seemed thick with tension as bedrolls were set up, Tsukishima was keeping quiet as the guild brothers got on with their well-rehearsed roles within the camp.

The thunder rumbled on above them, the threat of rain was fairly minimal as the canopy stretched over them. Flames flickered as the wind whistled in the leaves, the natural sounds of the forest providing a relatively calm feeling in the otherwise uncomfortable camp.

Yaku had been given extra stew to ‘recover’ from Tsukishima’s display of power, he didn’t seem overly angry, but Akaashi noted the glint in his eye that was the beginning of hatred. Akaashi wanted the ask what Tsukishima made him see, but knew that was going to only yield trouble as everyone else settled down to sleep. Bokuto had volunteered to keep watch for a few hours, Kiyoko would take over from him as it got closer to dawn, Kuroo insisted on staying up with Bokuto for a while to make sure everyone was settled.

Akaashi made no effort to hide how much he wanted to be held by Kuroo, crawling into his lap as Bokuto added some more wood to the fire. The days of keeping up appearances had taken their toll on him as he breathed in Kuroo’s scent. Burying his face in the crook of the other’s neck. The warmth of Kuroo’s body was more than physical, it soothed his head, quietened his thoughts.

“I hear you’ve been having nightmares again.” Kuroo murmured once they were sure most of the others were asleep.

“Yeah…”

A gentle hand caressed his cheek, the tender touch felt both foreign and familiar. It had only been a few days, but those days had been long, tiring and emotionally draining.

“What were they about this time?”

Akaashi shook his head. He didn’t want to recall them. “I don’t want to talk about them.”

Kuroo sighed slightly. “Okay, fair enough.”

Bokuto poked at the fire, humming in thought as he cast his eyes around the group; the only ones who were still awake were Moniwa and Tsukishima. The former appeared to be making hasty notes in a leather-bound journal whilst the latter was polishing his eyeglasses. Lev the cat was prowling around but sticking close to the firelight as Kenma was fast asleep already.

“So,” Bokuto broke the silence “you wanna see our new tattoos?”

Kuroo struck the heel of his hand against his forehead. “Bo, we weren’t meant to be telling everyone immediately—”

“Eh? We got inked up, not like we’re getting married or anything.” Bokuto pouted.

Akaashi chuckled, pulling away from Kuroo’s chest. “Tattoos? Of what?”

Kuroo rolled his eyes, scoffing slightly as he met Bokuto’s gaze. “Well Bo? You gonna show off yours first or what?”

Bokuto laughed, he poked the fire one last time before dropping the twig. He unfastened the bindings on his leather jacket and shrugged it off, his sleeveless tunic underneath bore his arms to the elements, including the thin bandages winding around his right shoulder and bicep.

“He had to get so drunk to get it done.” Kuroo explained as Bokuto started unravelling the bandage.

“I bet.” Akaashi watched the black ink become more visible as Bokuto’s fingers worked carefully.

The talons of the owl were the first to be seen, the detailed feathers that made up the body slowly revealed themselves the more the bandage was removed. Once the last of the thin linen was pulled away, the tip of the outstretched wing stretched up to his shoulder, the main body of the owl rested on his bicep with its talons outstretched towards his elbow pit as it faced in toward Bokuto’s chest.

“Wow.” Akaashi nodded, eyes flickering over the thinner inked lines that made up all the feathers of the owl. “And that was done on a moving sail ship?”

Bokuto nodded. “Yeah, fucking killed though. I drank so much whiskey that night but it was so worth it.” He grinned, running his fingers over the wing.

Akaashi raised an eyebrow, glancing to Kuroo. “So what did you get hm?”

There was a sigh as Kuroo mimicked Bokuto’s actions, stripping down to his tunic and then further. He shivered slightly as his bare back was exposed to the breeze, his ink wasn’t as intricate as Bokuto’s so he hadn’t needed the bandages for as long.

Thick black lines stood out on the pale skin of Kuroo’s right shoulder-blade, two large wings stretched out from a small rounded body. Talons were closed around a dagger, one around the hilt and the other around the blade. Hollow eyes were surrounded by thinner black lines, the beak open as if it was screeching.

“So I’m guessing the owl is supposed to represent the guild?” Akaashi remarked as he traced his fingertips over the still raised lines.

“Hell yeah.” Bokuto replied before Kuroo could.

“Yaku was scared we were gonna make it an initiation thing.” Kuroo chuckled, tugging his shirt back on and accepting Akaashi back into his hold.

“I mean, it’s an idea.” Akaashi shrugged with a smirk. “I wouldn’t mind getting one.”

“We’ll get a guy to hook you up.” Bokuto declared.

Akaashi shook his head. “No, it would be too easy to get talked into getting one that would…” He trailed off. “I don’t want ones like Tsukishima’s. That’s just one step too far for me.”

Kuroo ruffled his hair before hugging him tighter. “That’s fine, we were kidding anyway.”

They let the crackling of the fire and rustling of the leaves fill the silence between them. Akaashi pressed his cheek against Kuroo’s chest, feeling his heartbeat. Since taking the poultice from Moniwa the day before, his headaches had kept at bay, but he was all too aware they were manifesting in other ways. His standoffish nature with Tsukishima was the most obvious, but he could feel Suga’s concern given how little he had spoken up that day. He was often seen as the unofficial fourth guild leader, yet throughout that day’s travelling, he had barely taken such a role to heart.

Since reuniting with Kuroo, he felt much more at ease. The uneasiness surrounding Tsukishima hadn’t lessened - rather it had grown since his attack on Yaku - but he felt safer now that the guild was all together again. They always had each other’s backs, even if they argued occasionally.

“What’s the plan then,” Bokuto murmured. “like, we’re over the border now and if the maps are accurate then we’re not more than two days ride from the capital.”

“We get there, we figure out what is and isn’t true, we go home.” Kuroo replied. “And we get rid of Tsukishima as soon as Kunimi’s pardon is finalised.”

“Agreed.” Akaashi nodded. “Unfortunately we do need him for that pardon so we have to be…somewhat accommodating for now.”

Bokuto snorted. “Right, well he’s already started off shit with that stunt he pulled with Yaku. So I don’t trust him one bit, especially with Hinata.”

“How has he been with Hinata?” Kuroo asked Akaashi.

Akaashi shrugged. “I…uh don’t know.”

He hadn’t told Kuroo about the light on the border and how he had been affected by it. Somehow it didn’t seem like the best idea to tell him within hours of meeting up in the middle of the night.

“Kunimi’s been closer to Hinata recently anyway.” He quickly added. “I’ve been trying to…uh…”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I mean you’ve been travelling in unfamiliar territory so I guess you’ve been distracted.” He trailed a hand up Akaashi’s back and began rubbing soothing circles. “In fact, you should probably get some sleep.”

Akaashi wrinkled his nose. “I guess.”

A hand came up to cup his cheek, tilting his face up to make him meet Kuroo’s gaze. He smiled as Kuroo’s lips pressed against his. The kiss was short, but it was more than enough.

As Akaashi slipped into his bedroll, Kuroo chewed on his lip and looked to Bokuto. They waited a while as the fire popped, the thunder had stopped but the wind hadn’t relented yet.

“…something’s wrong with him.” Kuroo whispered once he was sure Akaashi was asleep.

“Yeah.” Bokuto nodded.

“I’ll ask him tomorrow, I don’t wanna go behind his back about it.”

Bokuto hummed in agreement. “I’ll talk to Hinata and see what his thoughts are on all of this bullshit, it goes without saying that we need to keep Tsukishima from messing with him.”

Kuroo sighed heavily. “…this entire situation seems shitty to be honest.” He leaned back on his hands, looking up at the canopy overhead. “The terms of this pardon seem flaky at best, who’s to say Tooru won’t go back on his word if he doesn’t like what he hears?”

Bokuto shrugged. “They did what they could in the moment I guess.”

“Well we need to be on guard to cause a scene if the tides turn. I’m a wanted criminal, as is Yaku. We don’t need the royal house getting wind of that and throwing us at the executioner.”

The all too real truth to Kuroo’s words was hard to ignore. If Tooru didn’t like what he heard, he could have The Brotherhood torn apart, and that was something none of them could afford to happen.

 


	24. Closing Ranks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see if I can at least finish writing this before Nanowrimo starts (spoiler; it's quite feasible given how far ahead I am) so there's a high chance of multiple updates a week for the next few weeks :3

  
**XXIII**

**Closing Ranks**

 

Hinata knew something was off. When he opened his eyes he was not in the forest he fell asleep in. The flat grasslands opened up to him as he looked around for any clues that the guild had moved him in his sleep. Instead, he found no-one. Patchy tufts of wildflowers sprang from the yellowed grass that moved with the wind, no clear path or trail carving through it.

He turned around fully, taking in his surroundings as he stepped between the bright flowers. Looming in the distance was a large mountain, mist wrapping around it like a protective embrace. Rocks jutted out from the base, a silent warning not to get too close. He felt drawn to it, but stayed put as he continued glancing around. The plains stretched out far either side of him as he faced the mountain, gradually sloping up towards until the headland obscured his view.   
The sound of waves hitting rocks with great force piqued his interest, scrambling over the rocks and shrubbery, he peeked over the headland. A sheer drop greeted him, the swell of the waves filling the void. He cast his eyes up to take in the bay that led to the ocean. He had very few ideas where he was and it was scaring him.

The sound of a war horn startled him. He pulled back from the cliff and whipped around to see who had sounded it. Finding no-one, his gaze flickered to the mountain. The mist had parted, revealing a prominent ledge jutting out, visible even from the distance he was from it.

Something inside him made him start running towards it. Tripping over loose rocks and getting tangled in plants as he went. He tried not to think about how he got there, what was happening and how he was going to get home. He focused on getting to the mountain.

A voice made him halt, a loud, low voice.

“ _Shoyo Hinata_.”

He froze, eyes fixed on the mountain that was still shrouded in mist save for the one ledge.

“…that’s me.” He whispered, more as a confirmation to himself than a reply.

“ _You are in my domain now._ ” The gravelly voice continued. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once.

“I-I don’t know where I am.” He spoke louder. “Where am I?”

There was silence for a few moments, the mist swirling in the sky around the imposing mountain.

“ _You and your Brotherhood have stepped into circumstances beyond your understanding. Are you sure you want to continue on this path?_ ”

Hinata wasn’t sure what exactly it was talking about. It could’ve been speaking of the Blue Serpents, it could’ve been talking about the pardon, it could’ve been talking about a lot of things.

“Which path? What circumstances? Who are you?”

A strong breeze whipped up, the grass around him chirping almost as the reeds brushed against one another.

“ _Step carefully if you continue Shoyo. Many have tried to halt the events set in motion, none have succeeded._ ”

It was obvious now that the disembodied voice wasn't up for a discussion, more inclined to speak in cryptic ways like Kenma used to.

“What are you talking about? Come out and show yourself!” Hinata shouted at the mountain. “I’m not listening until you answer me!”

A strong tremor made him regret challenging the voice. His eyes were still fixed on the ledge as he summoned his flames to his fingertips. He anticipated a fight but instead got nothing.

“ _Wake up Shoyo. You have slept long enough_.”

The skies brightened abruptly. He shut his eyes as he was blinded by the sun. Another tremor made him stumble and fall backwards, sprawling out on the grass.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in the forest.

He bolted upright, startling Nishinoya who was sat beside him. The campfire was heating up a pot of water, Daichi and Suga were walking the outer ring of the camp deep in conversation. The rest of the guild was either asleep or in the first stages of waking up. Sunlight streamed through between the leafy canopy, birdsong filled the calm air.

“Are you okay?” Nishinoya asked quietly, noting Hinata’s heavy breathing.

Hinata wasn’t sure where to even start explaining. He rubbed his face and accepted the water pouch offered to him. Cool mountain spring water quenched a thirst he wasn’t aware of. Nishinoya watched carefully, the trembling in Hinata’s hands was enough to make him concerned, the bewildered look in his eyes worried him more.

“Uhm.” Hinata wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I had a weird…dream.”

It wasn’t a dream, it was far too vivid. He glanced around and found Akaashi still asleep in his bedroll. Hinata figured he’d be the person to ask about weird dreams, but Nishinoya was willing to listen so Hinata wasn’t going to turn down the offer.

He fidgeted with his hands as he tried to get his thoughts together. As far as ‘dreams’ went, having a conversation with a mountain about ‘circumstances beyond his understanding’ was certainly out there.

“So the ‘mountain’ told you we’ve stepped into some weird shit.” Nishinoya summarised after Hinata babbled out the events.

Hinata nodded.

“And you have no idea where you were?”

“No.”

“And the voice wasn’t one you recognised?”

“No.”

Nishinoya rubbed his chin in thought. “…sounds freaky.”

“Is it…is it a mage thing?” Hinata asked, addressing the first question the non-mage members of the guild would ask.

Nishinoya shrugged. “Possibly? I’ve never had one like that. It sounds more like a…a vision or something.”

“Should I ask Akaashi?”

“Gods no.” Nishinoya abruptly replied. “No, don’t ask him. Kenma or Moniwa might have a better idea, but don’t ask Akaashi.” He lowered his voice so only him and Hinata could hear. “With how Tsukishima lashed out yesterday, I get the idea that Akaashi isn’t doing too great. Just, leave him be for now yeah?”

Hinata nodded, as much as he wanted answers immediately, there were other more important matters bothering the others. He was prepared to wait until they got home, until there wasn’t a stranger amongst them. Once he felt more sure of himself, he got up and began helping Tanaka pack up some of the camp ahead of breakfast.

Since the two parties merged, Daichi had been wary of Tsukishima. Even before the mage had ‘proved his point’ to Yaku, he had felt a sense of unease. Now he was more adamant to not let the Brotherhood fall into any more traps.

“So you’re saying he’s been difficult from the get-go?” He murmured to Suga. “Has he done anything physically?”

Suga shook his head. “Not in the sense that you’re implying. He’s just been on the fringes of the group really, not getting involved, not saying anything unless spoken to.”

Daichi rubbed his chin in thought, the light stubble scratching his fingers. They continued walking the perimeter of the camp, keeping an ear out for any approaching threats as they quietly exchanged thoughts.

“We found something odd on the trail last night before you found us.” Daichi changed the topic slightly. “A rune carved into stone.”

“Was it blue?” Suga asked, eyes widening as they halted. “Was it glowing?”

Daichi gave him a slightly guarded look. “Yes…how did—”

“Kindaichi and Kiyoko found one on the border wall.” Suga explained. “It…it seemed to have a weird effect on Akaashi and Noya.”

He went on to explain the night Akaashi had seen the light and then stayed awake only to awaken in a confused mental state.

“And Noya’s hands haven’t really stopped sparking since we passed over the border.” Suga finalised.

“And Hinata?”

Another shake of the head was the reply. “He’s not said anything about it, we’ve tried to keep him out of that loop…”

Daichi sighed. “We can’t hide information from each other…he needs to know that something’s going on.”

“He already knows.” A voice from above startled them. Kunimi dropped down from the tree branch he had been perched on and dusted himself off. “I told him.”

There was a moment where Daichi was going to lecture Kunimi on spying on people, but stopped himself when he realised that it would go against what he just said.

“You told him what exactly?” Suga pressed, ignoring the morality behind Kunimi eavesdropping.

Kunimi shrugged. “It was when Akaashi went hysterical, I took Hinata out to spar and I told him about the rune. I didn’t say anything I couldn’t personally vouch was true.”

The two guild leaders exchanged a glance before Daichi spoke;

“So did he give any indication that he’s been affected?”

“Not when I spoke to him.” Kunimi replied. “We ended up talking about Tsukishima being a…” he rubbed the back of his neck as he trailed off. “Anyway, no he didn’t seem affected by it.”

“Well let’s hope that it continues…” Suga breathed. “Does anyone actually know what that rune is?”

Kunimi glanced over to where Moniwa was making notes in his journal. “I can go and see if Moniwa has any ideas?”

Daichi nodded. “Please do, and get everyone up for breakfast. We should move soon.”

Kunimi set off, jogging over to Moniwa and plonking himself down on the bedroll next to him. He waited for the other to finish his sentence before asking about the ‘rune situation’. Moniwa told him he hadn’t had the chance to talk to Kenma as the other seemed exhausted, but he had been making notes on everything that had happened since he joined the guild.

“I started keeping a record of just little snippets of conversation here and there.” He smiled as Kunimi flicked through the first few pages. “Tanaka and Bokuto are big story-tellers so I hope they’ll allow me to fill up the journal with some tales of adventure. Suga found out what I was doing and asked if I could keep a more detailed account of this quest, I think he’s a little paranoid that our account of things might get ignored if it isn’t recorded somewhere.”

Kunimi chuckled. “Yeah,” he paused at the latest entry; the circle with an inverted arrowhead and a triangle within it. “Is this the rune everyone’s going on about?”

Moniwa nodded. “I think it’s a warding rune but I’ll see what Kenma thinks.”

“And if it is?” Kunimi handed back the journal. “Then what?”

“Well, finding out who carved it would be nice. I’m not going to count on it however.”

With nothing else being said on the matter, Kunimi got up and roused the remaining sleeping brothers awake. Breakfast was a quick ordeal and camp was packed up efficiently. They began making their way through the forest again, their supplies spread evenly between the four horses and the majority of the party was in high spirits.

Bokuto took it upon himself to try and be friendly to Tsukishima, enlisting Kuroo’s help. As the convoy moved between the trees, guided by Kunimi and Yaku in the branches overhead, Bokuto began regaling Tsukishima with the details of his latest invention.

To Tsukishima’s credit, he entertained Bokuto’s ramblings about tripwires and bear traps laced with poison for longer than Kuroo had thought he would. He begrudgingly asked how Bokuto tested such traps and got a vivid account for his trouble.

“So the jaws snap shut,” Bokuto made a gesture with his hands that mimicked a set of teeth coming together “and rip into the carcass, the poison that Kenma mixes doesn’t hold its effect once the meats been cooked so I lather it all over the jaws and it’ll basically kill anything that gets caught.”

Tsukishima nodded slowly, expression indifferent as the trees around them grew thinner.

“What if a human gets caught?”

Kuroo laughed as Bokuto tried to keep his composure. “Well,” he began, pausing as Kuroo slapped Tsukishima's shoulder and startled the mage.

“Ya see Kei, Bo here doesn’t just place those traps anywhere. And if some idiotic hunter walks into one..well it's his own fault—”

“I heard that!” Suga barked, prompting Kuroo and Bokuto to burst into a fit of laughter.

A bewildered Tsukishima dusted off his shoulder where Kuroo had slapped him before giving them a puzzled look.

“Long story short, Suga got caught in one of the early models,” Kuroo explained as Bokuto tried to regain his composure. “He doesn’t like us mentioning it.”

“I wonder why…” Tsukishima muttered. “Also don’t call me ‘Kei’.”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Bokuto copied the gesture. “Ohoho?”

“Why not?”

“Yeah, why not?”

Tsukishima glared at both of them before snorting. “We’re hardly friends.”

Bokuto grinned. “Yeah, but you’re travelling with our Brotherhood, under our banner, eating our food. So we might as well get along and call each other friend.”

Tsukishima snorted again. “Hardly. I didn’t ask to get put on this assignment.”

“And we didn’t ask for you to join us.” Kuroo shrugged.

“You were hardly involved in arguing for Kunimi’s innocence. Busy doing god knows what criminal activities.” Tsukishima smirked. “If it was so important to you, you would’ve been at the palace.”

Bokuto tactfully stepped between Tsukishima and Kuroo, noting the dangerous glint in Kuroo’s eye and the twitch of fingers near his blade.

“Listen, Tsukishima,” he went to clap a hand on the other’s shoulder but thought better of it “you’ve made it obvious that you don’t care about our inner workings. You’ve made it clear you don’t want to be here. So here’s a tip from me to you;”

Bokuto let the pause hang in the air for a moment.

“The Brotherhood stands strong in times of trouble, and you my friend are currently considered ‘trouble’. So if I were you, I’d be doing everything I can to not annoy the people who are currently feeding me each night.”

There was another pause before Tsukishima nodded slightly. Kuroo had enough of talking to him and stalked up the convoy to see what the others were discussing. Akaashi and Kiyoko were following Kunimi and Yaku’s directions to try and get out of the forest sooner rather than later, Tanaka and Kindaichi had been exchanging ideas on the runes carved into rocks.

“How much longer til we’re out of the forest?” Kuroo asked the two on point.

Akaashi shrugged. “Yaku seems to think we’re not too far from the edge, but getting the horses out is the next issue; the roots are thicker out here ‘cause they have to weather the storms that blow in.”

“We could get them to canter and jump them.” Kiyoko suggested, glancing back at Kindaichi for confirmation that all four horses would be comfortable with the idea. “If it means getting out into the open again, I say we try.”

“Good enough for me.” Kuroo nodded, he made the hand signal for the party to halt. “Oi Yaku, you and Kunimi find the nearest way out — we’ll jump the roots if we have to.”

The two in the trees shouted back that they got the message and the rustling of leaves signalled their departure.

“We’ll need to adjust some of the supplies,” Kindaichi told Kuroo “Raimei will be able to take some from the others as he’s built bigger.”

Through a combination of teamwork and the forest finally yielding to let them leave, they walked out into the bright daylight. The wilderness stretched out before them; not that different from the edges of their home kingdom with its dead or dormant shrubbery and the lack of a smooth road or trail over the rocky uneven land. Mountains loomed in the distance, mist wrapping around them noticeable from even where they stood gathering themselves.

Hinata’s gazed fixed on the mountains, they didn’t look similar to the one he saw in his dream but the way the mist wrapped around them swirled in the same manner. Nishinoya noted his staring and nudged him out of his thoughts as the horses began moving again.

According to the dated map that Moniwa had, the capital city of the former kingdom was within the mountains in front of them. None of them had been to the kingdom before it fell, so all they had to go on was the map and a handful of notes Moniwa had made before he left the guild’s extensive library. He took the lead with Daichi, both of them checking their surroundings to what was inked on the map and trying to find a more even pathway through the mountains.

“You would’ve thought there’d be a linking road between the two kingdoms.” Tanaka huffed as they stopped to let the horses drink from a small stream.

“Unless the two kingdoms didn’t want to link.” Kenma replied, batting Lev’s nose away as he sniffed inside the saddle bag Kenma was rummaging through. “Just cause they were neighbours didn’t mean they were friendly.”

Tanaka spotted Tsukishima lingering near Daichi and Moniwa as the two spoke about their planned route ahead. He raised an eyebrow as Tsukishima made no attempt to hide his interest in what was being said.

“Speaking of friendly,” Tanaka murmured, catching Kenma’s attention “what do you think of this scout-mage-dude?”

Kenma snorted, barely glancing up from his task. “I don’t think anything of him. He’s nothing special.”

Tanaka gave him a puzzled look, prompting him to continue.

“He’s a scout, he’s also a mage. Likewise, I’m an alchemist who’s also a mage. Just because we’re capable of unusual things doesn’t mean we’re any less of a person.”

The conversation was cut short by Daichi calling for them to start moving again. Kenma let Tanaka walk ahead of him with Amaya in tow, waiting for Akaashi to fall in step with him before moving himself, Lev keeping close to him in the unfamiliar lands.

“So,” Kenma said, “what he did to Yaku last night—”

“Was dirty.” Akaashi finished without prompting, voice low as Yaku wasn’t exactly out of earshot. “I sensed it happen, the eye contact was all it took.”

Kenma nodded, gaze still on Tsukishima as he walked beside Daichi. “I felt something, I couldn’t pinpoint what.”

“I asked Yaku this morning and I can say without a doubt that you don’t want to know what he was made to witness.”

“Not even if it gives us some indication of why he’s really here?” Kenma smiled slightly when Akaashi raised an eyebrow at him. “Kunimi’s not the only suspicious one, it’s obvious that Tooru sent him with you for a reason.”

Akaashi made a non-committal noise. “Let’s just say, for someone who questioned our morals on whether we kill for profit or not, he’s not exactly innocent either.”

There was a snort from Kenma. “I expected as much. He didn’t seem uncomfortable about travelling with a band of assassins and thieves.”

“True, but I’m not sure of the king is aware of this or not. It’s possible Tsukishima is almost like a dog on a leash to him, but I’m not confident enough to accuse such a thing.”

“There is the possibility that Tooru doesn’t know, or…” Kenma trailed off for a moment, smirking again “maybe it isn’t just Kunimi’s pardon on the line here.”

Akaashi’s eyes widened slightly as he considered the implication. “Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves…”

“Of course, but it’s a possibility.” Kenma shrugged. “One that wouldn’t be overly hard to believe as fact.”

“Don’t let Kunimi or Kuroo hear that idea.” Akaashi warned.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Kenma hummed, filling Akaashi with no such confidence.

The convoy continued moving north, the mountains gradually getting closer as the day wore on. The mist hung around the peaks of the mountains but also at the grasslands at the foot of the range. They soon found themselves walking on stone as opposed to dirt, the clatter of hooves bounced off the rock faces that surrounded them as they took the only obvious trail through the range.

Moniwa didn’t want to confess that he didn’t really know what they were walking into. The heavily inked lines of the map halted abruptly in the mountain range. A singular dot marked where Tobu Misaki-Mura used to be, not what was currently there. A reshuffle of the convoy occurred; Kiyoko and Daichi took point and the horses were assigned to Kindaichi, Tanaka, Bokuto and Yaku. Kunimi and Suga moved up and down the convoy as Kuroo and Akaashi guarded the party’s back.   
Those not armed with immediate weapons were told to keep an eye out for any threats and relay messages back and forth. A hush fell over the group, the striking of horse hooves against stone was the only sound the party made.

The air was cooler as the trail began sloping upwards, the mist slowly wrapping around them. Kiyoko and Daichi couldn’t see too clearly in front of them, both drawing their weapons partly in caution, partly so they’d feel slightly more prepared to defend the lead horse. No-one dared to question where they were going, whether they should turn back, whether this was suicidal. Small rocks tumbled down from one of the peaks, prompting Kiyoko to halt them. Looking up from where it had come from, they only saw the white of the mist.

“…Moniwa, where exactly is the city?” Daichi asked quietly as they remained halted on the trail.

“Uh, well the map wasn’t…overly clear.” Moniwa replied. “It being inked in the kingdom of Oikawa and all.”

“So you don’t know.” Kiyoko concluded.

“I mean, it’s somewhere in these mountains, it can’t be that hard to find.”

“You’re forgetting the fact that an eruption took place and probably buried it under ash and rubble.”

Yaku snorted. “Supposedly.”

Moniwa looked over the map for clues, more loose stones tumbled down from overhead. Hinata watched the mist swirling above them as they remained stood on the pathway, his stomach mimicking the movement of the air.

“In any case,” Daichi said, trying to keep an argument from breaking out “we should keep heading through this pass.”

No-one disagreed with him, any movement was better than waiting for an ambush. Slowly, they began walking again. Talking was kept to a minimum as the quiet of the mountain yielded no hint of life. The further they walked in, the more the mist closed in around them, Akaashi found it disconcerting, to say the least, when he glanced over his shoulder to find he could only see a few paces behind him.

“We have to be close to something.” Daichi whispered to Kiyoko. “There’s little other reason for a pass like this.”

Kiyoko nodded, adjusting the grip on her blade. “But how much further? We can’t just camp here when night falls.”

Daichi glanced back to the party, he needed to send two or three of them ahead to see how much further the pass went on for. He met Nishinoya’s gaze and the mage seemed to understand in an instance. He nudged Hinata and then jogged up the convoy with the other in tow.

“Something up?” He asked Daichi.

“Yes,” Daichi smiled slightly as they kept walking “I need you and Hinata to go on ahead and scout out what’s up this pass.”

“Just us?” Hinata clarified.

“Mhm. We can’t push the horses to move too quickly or they’ll tire before nightfall.”

Kiyoko nodded in agreement. “I can accompany them if you wish.”

Daichi shook his head. “No, they can manage.” He turned back to the mages. “If you find a fork in the trail, wait there for us. Don’t split up.”

Nishinoya nodded. “Got it Daichi!” He saluted with a chuckle, nudging Hinata again. “Come on, let’s go.”

“And try not to get spotted by any enemy scouts…” Daichi said belatedly as the two scampered away.

Even with the mist, Hinata and Nishinoya set off at a jog. The path underfoot was far from even but it wasn’t as bad as one would expect. It was clear the pass was used by someone still. They slowed to a walking pace once they were firmly out of earshot of the main party. Nishinoya stretched out his arms as he walked, fingers splayed as if he was running his hands through water or fine silks. Hinata saw the small blue sparks at his fingertips crackling into life, the charged air washed over him as he walked a few paces behind the other.

The path twisted and turned as it cut through the rock, the mountains on either side unforgiving in their presence. Hinata began getting lost in his thoughts when he bumped into Nishinoya who had stopped abruptly.

“What is it?” He asked as he stepped beside Nishinoya and followed his gaze. His eyes widened as he saw the pulsing blue lines carved into the rock.

“That’s the rune, the one everyone’s been talking about.” Nishinoya explained. “Kindaichi found one outside the border, Yaku said that Lev found another in the forest.”

“What are they?” Hinata crouched down next to the carving. “What do they do?”

Nishinoya shrugged. “I dunno, but they have this weird…” he trailed off as Hinata looked at him. “Just watch.”

Nishinoya held out his hand to the carving, as he moved it closer, bright sparks popped and fizzled from his fingers without him prompting them to. As he tugged his hand away, they stopped.

Hinata tilted his head to the side, looking between Nishinoya and the rune. He flexed his own fingers and held his hand to the lines. Wisps of fire spawned from nowhere, startling him as he felt the heat on his skin.

“See? It’s a weird effect.” Nishinoya shrugged. “The one on the border was stronger, this one just seems to be like…uh…”

As Nishinoya trailed off, Hinata looked up the path they were headed along. The cliffs either side showed no mercy but he noted something different ahead; a large square archway, a gateway of sorts straddling the pass.

“Like a sign?” Hinata finished as he squinted through the mist. “A sign to a city?”

Nishinoya followed his gaze, squinting also. “No way, that can’t be…”

“Let’s go.” Hinata stood up and immediately started towards it, halting when Nishinoya caught his wrist. He turned to object but the older male cut in first.

“We need to wait for the others. Gods only know what’s up there waiting for us.”

“But—”

“Hinata, we could be about to walk into a hostile city.” Nishinoya bluntly replied. “I’m not letting you walk in there without the others. You’re not a lone mage anymore remember? Daichi will literally kill me if I let you go off on your own.”

Hinata swallowed. He nodded and agreed to wait for the others, casting his eyes through the mist at the gateway. Questions ran through his mind at a quick pace; was there a city ahead of them? Was it hostile? Was it even inhabited? He itched to run to find out, but reluctantly stayed put with Nishinoya, waiting for the distant sound of clattering hooves to draw closer.

 


	25. "Full-time Lunatics"

**XXIV**

**"Full-time Lunatics"**

 

They stood at the foot of the archway. The white stone was more than carved into a simple doorway, intricate patterns had been chiselled into the sides that were joined to the mountains either side of it. A deep blue tiled roof sat atop the archway, sloping eaves revealing the timber frame underneath splintered and rotting with age. There were no words carved anywhere to indicate the beginnings of a new territory or kingdom, but the implication was there nonetheless.

“This…could be the outer gateway.” Kuroo mused. “Like, this is as far as the city limits go?”

“Possible.” Moniwa had abandoned the map at this point, knowing it wouldn’t yield any more clues. “The lack of any official plaques is interesting. If it was the start of the city, I would imagine there’d be at least one stating it so.”

Suga and Kiyoko peered through the archway, beyond the threshold was simply more of the mountain pass, though it gave off the impression it sloped downwards from there on. With little holding them back, they pressed on. The third rune that Nishinoya and Hinata had found was observed by everyone, no-one having any further ideas as to what they could be before the archway had stolen their attention.

The mountains either side of them seemed to get further apart from each other as they kept walking, the path widening slowly. The mist was beginning to clear slightly but it wasn’t giving up it’s secrets just yet. With the widened pathway, they closed ranks a little more; the horses travelling in pairs now and the only ones not travelling within the pack were Kiyoko and Suga on point.

“…is that running water?” Kiyoko asked. Suga put up a hand to halt the party, listening intently. A distant roar of cascading water could be heard. He nodded and waved the party forward. The path sloped further downhill, indicating they were moving into a valley of sorts.

As they began walking on grass again, the mist cleared more and more. Lush grass came up to their knees, dirt soft from recent rainfall but not like mud. Trees and bushes were in the stages of preparing for hibernation, some still with green leaves but many with vibrant reds, yellows and oranges. A wide river cut through the vegetation, clear water heading away from them until it dropped dramatically, the roar of the waterfall much louder now as they walked towards it. Suga looked out over the lake that stretched out below the falls, spray rose from the plunging water but he could see the other side well enough.

He glanced over his shoulder with a smile as the rest caught up.

“I think we found it.”

Across the lake on another headland overlooking the pool of water was a cluster of buildings. Their deep blue roof tiles set them apart from the bright leaves around them but beyond that they couldn’t see anything specific about them. Another waterfall fed into the lake from the other side of the valley, surrounded by trees and other vegetation.

“Shit, it’s actually…pretty.” Tanaka remarked as everyone took a few moments to take in the view.

“Is that the city…or rather, whats left of it?” Daichi mused.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Kuroo said. “We go over there and have a poke around.”

Compared to the forest they had begun the day in, the trees that they walked between now were much less obstructive; their roots barely rising out of the dirt, trunks thinner and branches weaving in and out of each other to form the canopy overhead. Flowers were still blooming despite the chill in the air, bright purples and reds brought further colour to the area. Lev seemed much more comfortable in the forest as he trotted next to Kenma, ears pricking up at the sound of birdsong and the scurrying of forest critters.

“I would’ve thought this place would’ve been…colder,” Kunimi remarked to Kindaichi. “Y’know, with it being where it is.”

Kindaichi hummed in response. “I guess the valley keeps the heat in to a degree?”

Tsukishima snorted at the speculation, shaking his head slightly but not explaining himself even when Kiyoko gave him a puzzled look.

“In any case,” Kunimi ignored Tsukishima with all the determination he had. “do you reckon this is the city or like a village outside of it?”

Kindaichi shrugged, readjusting the grip he had on Hotaru’s reins. “Who knows, but we should find somewhere to camp soon.”

They continued through the woodland, keeping the lake in sight as they gradually got closer to the cluster of buildings. Suga had taken over the point position entirely with Yaku only a few paces behind him, the two of them scanning the area for signs of life beyond woodland creatures. As they came upon the second waterfall, a stone bridge came into view spanning the crest of the waterfall. Wooden pillars held up planks to form knee-high walls along the bridge, some of them missing through poor upkeep. The bridge itself was sturdy and showed no sign of shifting even when all four horses were on it.

Once across the bridge, the finer details of the buildings could be seen. Each one had a largely timber frame, meaning many walls had sunken into the ground or were listing precariously under the damp conditions and lack of care. Tiled roofs remained largely intact and stood strong upon their frames, some had holes and others had fallen through entirely due to trees or rocks falling onto them. Stone steps and pathways linked the buildings to one another, not always at ground level; a long walkway stretched from an upper floor of one house across the pathway and over a single story building before connecting with another upper floor of a house. The flooring of the walkway was supported by thick wooden beams and coiled rope, the flat wooden roof would’ve shielded anyone using it from the elements.

“Okay so there seemed to be far more buildings here than I thought.” Bokuto said, gesturing to the empty shells that were once homes. “Like there are easily four or five dozen here.”

“So does that mean we’ve found the old capital?” Hinata asked.

“I believe so.” Kenma glanced around at the trees lining the pathway they were walking along. They had evidently been planted to give the stony street some colour and vibrancy but now they had begun to take over with their sprawling branches and bright purple flowers.

“So, where’s the castle?” Kunimi asked. “As nice as this place is, not to mention creepy given how empty it is, I just need to find out if the castle is empty or not.”

There was a shared nod between Daichi and Suga. The party continued walking what appeared to be the main street, weaving between the empty buildings overgrown with ferns and flowers. Between the clusters of buildings, fields opened up, wildflowers and grass had sprung up in what they assumed used to be fields of crops and grazing lands.

They came across a shallow pool that was fed by a stream that meandered between the streets and continued onwards towards the waterfalls, flower petals and leaves floated in the clear water destined for the lake. The wind blew in, rustling the trees and stirring up remnants of the past residents. Flags whipped in the breeze, orange colour faded to a pale peach and threads hanging loose, doors rattled slightly some swinging on squeaky iron hinges.

“…hold on a second.” Nishinoya abruptly broke the silence.

“Holding on,” Tanaka remarked, grabbing the nearest person’s arm, who happened to be a very confused Kenma. “what is it?”

“I thought this entire city was meant to be destroyed in an eruption or earthquake or _whatever_. So why is it still here and just looking like a creepy as fuck ghost town? It just looks like everyone packed up and left one day.”

“…that’s…a good point.” Yaku replied.

“Well, maybe the eruption just…” Moniwa scrambled for an explanation. “…actually no you’re right this makes no sense.”

Akaashi watched Tsukishima try to hide his smirk. The party halted momentarily to let the horses drink from the shallow pool. As pretty as the city was, no-one could deny that Nishinoya had a valid point. Hinata was at a loss as various reasons for the city still existing were brought up amongst the more vocal brothers. He watched as Tsukishima lingered on the edge of the group, gaze fixed on the taller structures that were linked by more raised walkways and bridges.

A thought occurred to Hinata.

“Hey,” He stepped beside Tsukishima. “You can do that looking into the past thing right? Why don’t you do that now to find out why this city is still here?”

The question had caught both Akaashi and Suga’s attention from the debate of whether or not this was Tobu Misaki-Mura. They listened as Tsukishima chuckled slightly and shook his head.

“Oh don’t you worry, you’ll all find out why this place still stands when we find the castle.”

“Huh?”

Akaashi was two seconds away from drawing his blade and threatening to relieve Tsukishima of his head if he didn’t explain what the hell he meant by that answer, however Suga tactfully stepped between them and told Hinata that he was needed to help Kindaichi with one of the horses. Once Hinata was out of earshot, Suga held Tsukishima’s gaze, fingers flexing as he resisted the urge to draw his bow. Neither of them said anything, Tsukishima eventually averting his gaze as Suga showed no sign of backing down.

Suga snorted slightly, turning and meeting Akaashi’s gaze. Akaashi chose not to speak out loud given who was still in earshot, holding Suga’s gaze long enough to get his message across.

“He’s not who he says he is. Be prepared to kill him at a moment’s notice.”

Suga nodded in understanding, the unease in the order clear in his mind as Akaashi pulled himself out of the other’s thoughts. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow at him, Akaashi felt the sensation of intrusion and warded it off himself. He wasn’t about to let Tsukishima talk to him in that manner.

“Something you want to say?” He remarked out loud to Tsukishima. “Perhaps you know where the castle is?”

There was a twitch at the corner of Tsukishima’s mouth, a fleeting smirk ghosted over his features before his more neutral expression took over.

“It’s probably to the north,” he mused, looking up one of the main pathways “fortified by the mountains.”

“Uh huh, of course.” Akaashi wasn’t buying this attempt at uncertainty. “By all means, lead on.”

By this point, the rest of the party was very much aware of the tension between the two of them and were listening to the conversation. Tsukishima cast a glance around them before nodding.

“If that’s what you wish, then sure.”

They began following Tsukishima, Kuroo hanging back from the party as Akaashi watched with a guarded gaze. With a heavy sigh, Akaashi rubbed his forehead, wincing slightly. Kuroo wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a one-arm hug before they brought up the rear of the party.

“I was two seconds away from slicing his head off.” Akaashi breathed.

“I know.” Kuroo replied quietly, he had drawn his blade as had Kiyoko and Bokuto. There was little to no confidence in Tsukishima being a genuine scout of House Oikawa. “Just bear with it for a little while longer.”

The pathway sloped uphill slightly, the mountains that had been framing the entire settlement seemed to close in on them again as the buildings either side grew in size. A large hall of sorts boasted ornate stone statues outside of its main doors; dragons with one claw raised in an attacking stance. More faded orange banners whipped in the breeze, some of their ends singed by fire. Tsukishima barely glanced around as he led them forward.

“What’s this building?” Hinata asked, pointing to another large hall with more stone dragons lining the pathway to the solid wooden doors that were shut tight.

Moniwa looked at the roofing; upon the top of the roof were stone dragon heads with jaws open baring their teeth. The tiling was a darker blue than that of which they had already seen, the doorway decorated with carvings like the gateway they had passed under in the mountains.

“I’d say it’s one of importance, not your average home.” He replied. “Without entering I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”

Hinata nodded, chewing on his lip as he marvelled at the building. His chest felt tight as he gazed at the stone dragons, a sense of being watched washing over him before Nishinoya nudged him to catch up with the still-moving party.

Ahead of them on the pathway, another white stone archway beckoned, except the roof bore a stone dragon whose body spanned the entire length of the roof. No-one asked Tsukishima anything as he appeared uninterested in looking at any of the buildings they passed. Glances were exchanged as they passed under the archway and found themselves looking at another one, this time it was a more definitive gatehouse with tall stone walls flanking it and preventing access by any other means.

Tsukishima halted.

“This, is your castle.” He turned to Kunimi with a neutral expression. “Hokubujōsai.”

Beyond the open gates a large courtyard opened up, the path leading through it flanked by two more statues of dragons. A large pond boasted bright flora surrounding it, a small footbridge led to an island where a brazier sat sheltered by a small tiled roof, flame ignited and dancing in the breeze. All eyes fixed on the fortress that bore down on them; multiple floors of timber frame and stone walls greeted them. Windows were spaced evenly across each floor, most square and circular in shape but it seemed unclear if they had glass within them. Flanking the building’s entrance were two thin towers, both with deep blue tiled roofs like the main building, connected by covered walkways similar to those seen in the main town below. The walkway wrapped around the main part of the fortress, seemingly disappearing into the entryway that jutted out of the otherwise square building.

Two heavy oak doors stood closed in front of them, handles making up a dragon’s head. Above them a banner was fixed to the stonework; dark blue horizontal stripes framed a black backing to an orange dragon with white spines protruding from its back. The dragon itself was in flight but curled around as if it was turning to strike an attack. Its jaw was partly open, eyes golden and fixed ahead on its prey. Within the blue stripes was black stitched lettering;

**House Kageyama**

**Never Conquered**  
**Always Feared.**

The guild took a moment to process what they were looking at and what it meant. Kunimi’s face had paled once he saw the banner, it was in almost pristine condition; not one thread hanging loose, not one colour faded with the elements.

“So who wants to open the door?” Tanaka asked.

Daichi glanced around before stepping forward. Tsukishima made no move to stop him. Closing his hands around the handles, he pulled the doors open. With nowhere to really secure the horses, they hoped they wouldn’t wander too far as they proceeded inside.

A large entrance hall opened up to them, the first thing of note was how dark it seemed despite the light streaming in through the windows that were high up on the wall. Footsteps echoed off the high ceiling, dust was kicked up as they slowly dared to make their way towards the doors at the end of the hall, passing two doors that they assumed lead out to the walkway they had seen. Banners and unfurled scrolls hung on the walls but the dim light meant they couldn’t tell what they depicted and no-one wanted to suggest lighting a torch. Once at the second set of doors, Daichi paused. He turned to look at his guild, for the first time in being guild leader he was actually somewhat scared to be at the front of the party.

“Whoever is beyond this door, do not immediately attack them.” He whispered. “They’re probably bandits or some cult of sorts. And whatever you do, do not mention House Oikawa.”

There was a nod of understanding. Daichi let out a slow breath, closing his hands around the handles and sliding the doors apart. An equally grand hall opened up to them as they walked on wooden flooring, a vaulted ceiling soared into the darkness above them, the thin beams of light coming in from circular windows allowed the fading light of the day into the room but did little to illuminate the vast darkness. Large rounded wooden pillars lined the room and drew their attention to the centre of the back wall. Within the dim light, aligned against the back wall was a set of stone steps leading up to the empty stone throne.

A sigh of relief escaped some of them as the emptiness was noted. Tense muscles were relaxed, blades lowered slightly.

“…it’s empty.” Kunimi uttered, glancing at Tsukishima. “What kind of fuckery are you playing at?”

“Me?” Tsukishima placed a hand on his chest in offence. “I’m not doing anything, I was simply sent here with you.”

The creaking of wood went largely unnoticed by the feuding party members. Kiyoko glanced around the wide room, the number of shadows that an enemy could be hiding in didn’t sit well with her. As Kunimi started giving Tsukishima more harsh words, she glanced up into the darkness that was the ceiling.

Though she could see nothing, she could hear something moving around. Suga had also noted the sounds but was trying to put it down to birds in the rafters or rats scurrying about. The heated discussion between Kunimi and Tsukishima had reached a boiling point, with Kindaichi holding Kunimi back from outright punching the other and Bokuto almost reluctantly putting himself in front of the scout to try and calm Kunimi down.

A low chuckle made several of them freeze in minor terror. The rafters creaked as a more definitive footstep caught everyone’s attention. Blades were drawn despite Daichi’s request to keep calm.

“My my Kei,” A voice echoed off the walls, sounding like it came from everywhere at once “what is our master going to say about this development?”

Tsukishima scoffed and shook his head, declining to respond.

“You return to our hold not with information, but with a band of imbeciles?” The taunting continued, the darkness refusing to reveal the speaker. “And hot-headed ones at that? You know that isn’t going to go down well with him.”

Kuroo gritted his teeth, Tsukishima was refusing to talk so he figured he was well within his right to do so instead.

“What’s it to you who we are?” He called, ignoring Daichi’s glare. “Can’t even face us directly, you gotta hide in the shadows and call us imbeciles?”

The chuckle evolved into a loud laugh. “Have it your way.”

The flap of wings sounded all too familiar to them, the scratching of claws against wood and the heavy thud of something landing on the floor made Kuroo wish he hadn’t said anything now. From out of the shadows, beady red eyes approached, heavy footsteps and a low snort like that of a horse accompanied them. The dark blue scales shimmered in the light as it stalked towards them, legs thick and adorned with silver chains wrapped around them like anklets. Two large horns adorned with gold rings protruded from its skull, framing the largest of the spines that trailed down its back and along its serpent-like tail that slithered along the floor. Wings folded in on themselves to avoid knocking them against the wooden pillars that held up the floors above and the ceiling, but still gave the impression of a mighty beast as it stood taller than the only other dragon the guild had set their eyes on.

The sound of a rope being severed and a pulley system whirling into life didn’t faze the beast as it bore its sharp fangs to them. Out of the shadows above them, a figure descended quickly, the rope pulling tight and allowing them to drop down without so much of needing to roll into the fall. As he released the rope, the male regarded them with a smirk, his blond hair marked by two stripes of black running around the sides of his head above his ears, his eyes fierce as he looked the group up and down.

“You were saying?” He taunted, drawing his sword from the sheath strapped to his back. His sleeveless leather armour clinked as he shifted, a tattered piece of grey cloth was wrapped around his neck as a scarf and then hung like a cape over one of his shoulders. Blood stained the cloth in several places.

Tsukishima muttered something before pushing his way to the front of the party.

“Knock it off Kyoutani.”

“Ooh, now we have a backbone huh.” Kyoutani sneered, rotating his wrist as he swung his sword around in a display of aggression. “So I’m guessing these are your prisoners?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Tanaka challenged, drawing his own sword.

Kyoutani held up his blade in warning. “I wouldn’t do that.”

The dragon behind Kyoutani let out a low growl. Daichi held out his hands to try and defuse the situation, slowly stepping between his guild brothers and the slightly over-aggressive dragon tamer.

“Hey now, let’s calm down and discuss this without resorting to bloodshed.” He directly spoke to Kyoutani. “We can explain how we got here, you can explain what you’re doing here and we can all be on our way.”

Kyoutani wrinkled his nose before glancing at Tsukishima. “They don’t know, do they?”

Tsukishima shook his head. “Not strictly, no.”

Kyoutani snorted as he smirked. “Oh boy.”

“Know what?” Kuroo asked, stepping in front of Daichi.

There was a pause as Kyoutani raised an eyebrow, he chuckled as he turned and patted the muzzle of the dragon behind him. Tsukishima rolled his eyes as the beast let out what could pass as a purr at the gentle touch.

“Tell me something,” Kyoutani remarked, “what exactly were you told about this area?”

Nishinoya opened his mouth to speak but abruptly changed his mind when Daichi cleared his throat partly in warning. The guild leader stepped forward, hands out in a surrender-like gesture.

“We were told that the city had been destroyed by an eruption from the nearby volcano.” He stated. “We were told that no-one survived.”

Kyoutani nodded. “And who told you that?”

“…well, it’s a well-told story in…the other kingdom.” He chose his words carefully. “But obviously it’s somewhat false.”

Kyoutani laughed. “Somewhat.” He repeated, turning back to meet Daichi’s gaze. “You have no idea.”

“Well tell us then.” Daichi kept his composure even when he could feel Kuroo’s disdain for this war of words. “We have a scholar with us, he can document what really happened.”

The comment made Kyoutani nod in agreement, but there was an air of scepticism about him. He sighed, patting the dragon again before sheathing his sword.

“I’m not the one you need to convince.” He shrugged. “That’s up to him.”

“Who is ‘him’?”

The other raised an eyebrow. “I can fetch him. After all, he’d be very interested to hear what this other kingdom are saying.”

Daichi nodded, the twisting sensation in his stomach was hard to ignore as Kyoutani made a low whistle that sent the dragon back up into the rafters of the hall. The tamer himself gestured for them to stay put as he turned on his heel and walked past the throne into the shadows. The sound of a door sliding open preceded footsteps away.

“I’m guessing if we leave, that dragon is gonna swoop down and kill us.” Tanaka breathed.

“Most likely.” Tsukishima replied. “It’s not exactly known for being…how you say…patient.”

“Speaking of which,” Kunimi said, whirling around “who the fuck are you really?”

Kindaichi put a hand on Kunimi’s shoulder. “Akira—”

“No, I want answers and I want them now.”

A loud voice boomed from the other side of the room. “Then you shall get them.”

Daichi watched as a large man stepped out from the shadows, the sharp edge of a battle axe caught the light as the weapon was slung across broad shoulders. A bear pelt adorned his head and torso, draped over chainmail sleeves and iron plating padded with bear fur. The head of the bear sat atop the man’s head, shielding his brow from view but revealing his bearded jaw.

He strode to the base of the steps in front of the throne, bringing his axe down and striking the haft against the stone flooring before raising his voice;

“Presenting his Royal Highness, ruler of the eastern kingdom, the lone figurehead of the royal bloodline, King Tobio of House Kageyama.”

Light footsteps slowly advanced towards the throne. The figure stepped into the light that shone onto the throne, he wore mainly dark colours, his clothes fitted to his slim build and barely shifted as he slowly sat down. An ornate silver circlet sat atop short black hair, dragon heads of slightly different species adorned with small coloured gems. Piercing blue eyes regarded The Brotherhood with equal parts curious and irritated as he drummed his fingers against the armrest of the throne.

Kyoutani strode back into the room as the large axe-wielding man turned on his heel and paced up to take his post behind the throne, axe slung across his shoulders once more. Kyoutani bowed slightly to the one on the throne before turning to The Brotherhood.

“Sire, Tsukishima has returned with more than we bargained for.” Kyoutani remarked with a slight smirk. “What is your order?”

The young male on the throne raised his eyebrows, the drumming on the armrest pausing. “Kei.” He stated.

Tsukishima stepped away from the rest of the party. “Yes, Tobio?”

There was a snort. “What part of ‘bring me information’ did you not understand? Last I heard, you had gotten favour with the king and were set to remain there to inform me if they were going to launch another offensive. Why the fuck did you return with a band of mercenaries?”

Tsukishima sighed heavily. “Tooru ascended the throne.”

Tobio nodded. “I know that. That doesn’t explain why you’re back _here_ when you should be _there_.”

Kunimi wanted to laugh as Tsukishima was chewed out but the entire situation was very unfunny.

“Well, here’s the thing.” Tsukishima stepped closer to the throne. “One of these ‘mercenaries’ has a sizable bounty on his head that he wanted clearing. So your old friend Tooru decided to make good on his daddy’s wishes and send this band of thieves, killers, and full-time lunatics into your land to investigate whether or not you actually died.”

Kyoutani laughed, only stopping when Tobio glared at him. There was a long silence as Tobio mulled over the statement.

“So Tooru has the audacity to send criminals to look for my body.” He muttered. “Typical.”

“And what say you on what we should do with these imbeciles?” Kyoutani asked. “We have a sizable dungeon.”

Tobio snorted. He cast his eyes over the guild slowly. When his gaze met Hinata’s, he stood up.

“No. I want to know everything they know about what happened here.” He stated. “I want to know what that traitor who I once called friend had said about me, my family and how his own father acted.”

Kyoutani raised an eyebrow. “…and how would you like us to handle that?”

Daichi held his breath, waiting for the order to interrogate, threaten and outright torture them all for answers. Tobio shook his head, turning to the warrior stood behind his throne.

“Asahi,”

The warrior nodded, stepping forward.

“escort them to the guest quarters, keep them there but do not harm them.” Tobio turned back to the guild. “We will dine together at sunset and you will tell me everything you know about my kingdom. Though you are not in our dungeon, you will not leave this fortress until I have the answers I desire. Do I make myself clear?”

Daichi nodded, not wanting to let this bizarre act of mercy go to waste. “Yes, yes you do sire.”

Tobio nodded. “One thing before my guard escorts you to our tower; what do you go by and what exactly do you do?”

Daichi swallowed. “We are the Silver Owl Brotherhood, band of brothers who murder, threaten and steal for profit, though this particular uh chain of events is unusual even for us..”

Tobio raised an eyebrow. “Not exactly the type of people I’d imagine he’d turn to…”

“He…doesn’t exactly know about our guild’s occupation.” Daichi nervously replied.

Tobio smirked slightly. “I see. Very well, you are dismissed.”

The guild collectively let out a sigh of relief, watching as the young king departed. Though relief was quick to find them, their simple quest just got a little more complicated.


	26. Expect the Unexpected

**XXV**

**Expect the Unexpected**

  
They followed the king’s guard through a side door of the throne room, finding themselves in the west wing of the fortress. No-one questioned anything as they were lead up a staircase to the first floor, wood creaking beneath their feet. The hallways were narrow, the inner walls were not solid wood or stone like the outer walls they were accustomed to but more like parchment. Light was abundant as the thinner walls made it easier for it to pass through, the thick wooden supports separated each panel of the wall as well as forming door frames.  
The odd table played host to several candles, some of them were lit as the afternoon sunlight had begun to fade, more scrolls and banners decorated the walls, hanging from the solid wooden beams overhead. They caught sight of the large rounded pillars that stretched up from the throne room, a gap in the panelling allowed them to glimpse down at the vast room below.

As they reached their assigned room a sliding door opened, the guard turned to face them.

“In here.” He said, gesturing for them to enter the room. “Please take off your boots upon entering.” He stood outside the doorway and watched them all enter with boots in hand, barely moving as Daichi ushered the guild in ahead of him. Once everyone else was inside, Daichi paused at the doorway. He raised an eyebrow at the taller male, still unable to see his entire face thanks to the bear pelt.

“Any idea what Tobio intends to do with us once he’s gotten his information?” He asked coyly.

There was a small sigh. “Not really.” The other replied, shifting his stance slightly. “What I can say is that he’s seen a lot of shit for someone of his age, even by royal standards.”

Daichi nodded slowly. “Alright,” He turned to walk into the room but paused again. “say, we’re all kinda rough around the edges from the journey, is there any chance of getting some water brought up to make ourselves more presentable for later?”

There was a pause for thought from the other. “I guess you have a point, I’ll get it sorted.”

“Thanks, uh…what was your name again?”

He turned to fully face Daichi, rolling his shoulders slightly so the battle axe shifted. He held out his free hand to Daichi.

“Asahi Azumane, royal guard to the king. The only surviving soldier of the House’s personal guard.” He stated, bowing his head slightly.

Daichi nodded, reaching out and taking the hand in a firm handshake. “Daichi Sawamura, leader of The Brotherhood.”

Asahi gripped Daichi’s hand. “One piece of advice Daichi,” he murmured “don’t antagonise Tobio. He does not suffer fools gladly and will not hesitate to demonstrate that fact.”

“Uh huh, tell me one more thing Asahi.” Daichi was mindful that he needed to get as much information on the king as possible before willingly telling him everything they knew. “What is his stance on mages?”

Asahi pulled his hand back slowly, chuckling slightly as the bear pelt adorning his head shifted a little. “His Majesty has no quarrel with mages. After all, he has Tsukishima working for him.”

“Quite…” Daichi sighed, it hadn’t gone unnoticed that aside from the public chewing out, Tsukishima had avoided any kind of punishment. In fact he had also escaped being effectively locked away with them.

Asahi nodded. “I will be back to collect you at sundown, one of our people will bring you some water and see to your horses.”

Daichi had honestly forgotten that they had left the horses outside, then again dealing with a dragon and an unexpected king had been more than distracting. He nodded in thanks before finally entering the room and closing the door softly behind him.

He took in the large room that the guild had started getting comfortable in; the first thing to catch his eye was the large void in the wall, no glass sat within the window frame, leaving the cool air to enter the room. Yaku had already established that there were shutters outside that could be closed, but the lack of a window pane was just the beginning of the room’s slightly unfamiliar design choices. The floor was not made up of stone or wooden planks like they were used to, instead it appeared to be covered in compacted straw that felt soft as they walked on it.  
In the centre of the room was an unlit sunken fire-pit, around the dark stone that lined the coals and spent ash were several pelts and padded cushions to sit on. Most of the guild weren’t sure what to make of the simplistic room, the walls were made up of the thin parchment-like screens, making the room feel cosy and bright even with the chill in the air. Against the far wall were a pile of blankets, blankets that Kenma and Kiyoko had wasted little time in spreading out a little to give them some extra places to sit.

As they began sitting down around the sunken fire-pit, Hinata summoned some flames to get a small fire going, though there wasn’t a lot of fuel for the fire.

“So, we found Hokubujōsai.” Tanaka remarked, flopping down on one of the cushions.

“The city is intact.” Bokuto added. “Tobio is very much alive.”

“This isn’t quite…” Kiyoko mused, pacing slowly as the rest of the party sat around the room. “This is the opposite of what we were expecting.”

“No kidding.” Kunimi muttered.

There was a heaviness in the air as everyone started coming to terms with their current situation. No-one said anything as the coals hissed and popped, Hinata’s flames catching more.

“Well,” Kindaichi broke the silence “at least we’re all together.”

A hum of agreement passed over the group. Akaashi sighed heavily, laying back on the pile of blankets he had sat on and rubbing his forehead, Kuroo sat next to him and took hold of his hand.

“Question is, what’s going to happen next?” Nishinoya asked. “Like, sure we’re here and Tobio seems…to tolerate us. But how long is that gonna last?”

“Hopefully until we can get the hell out of here and never come back.” Kunimi uttered, abruptly standing up from where he had slumped on the floor. “And another thing—”

“Gods here we go.” Kuroo breathed.

“So we tell this Tobio guy everything we know about his kingdom and then what?” Kunimi paced over to the window and stared out over the vibrant trees. “We’re basically his prisoners right now, who’s to say he’ll let us go?”

Kiyoko shook her head. “He seems smarter than that, even if Tsukishima is working for him, Tooru is expecting Tsukishima to return. If he doesn’t, Tooru could technically send an armed unit to investigate a scout going missing.”

“But would Tooru want to?” Moniwa asked. “He’s got more problems than Tobio being alive.”

“One problem bleeds into another though.” Kiyoko pointed out. “We know the Blue Serpents are indirectly involved in the assassination plot - which by the way we haven’t strictly told Tooru about.”

“And the Blue Serpents keep using House Kageyama’s name as a scare tactic.” Kuroo sighed.

“Are they actually involved though? As in is Tobio involved in the assassination?” Nishinoya asked.

Suga shrugged. “Who can say? We don’t know anything about him, not really.”

There was an uncomfortable pause.

“So…what are we going to tell him, if we don’t know anything?” Tanaka said, glancing around for any words of wisdom. “We can only tell him what is common knowledge in the other kingdom.”

“Knowledge, false knowledge.” Moniwa snorted.

Daichi had declined to say anything so far, the warning about antagonising Tobio was fresh in his mind. It was going to be hard to keep everyone calm that evening. Without knowing exactly what the king wanted, he couldn’t form a plan of action. He couldn't tell them what they should and shouldn’t mention, what was off-limits, what the outcome was going to be.

The sound of someone clearing their throat outside the room disrupted his thoughts. The entire party froze as the door opened, Daichi half-expected it to be Asahi, but instead a much slimmer male entered. He glanced around the room with wide eyes, surprise evident on his freckled face despite his calm smile.

“Oh, okay I didn’t…” He murmured, running a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t expecting so many of you.”

“Uh huh, and we weren’t expecting to be taken prisoner,” Nishinoya remarked. “We weren’t expecting a lot of things, but we’ll save that for later.”

“Who are you?” Suga delicately asked, noting the dagger at the other’s waist.

The unknown male nodded belatedly. “Ah yes, I’m Yamaguchi. I’m one of Tobio’s…uh…stewards, I guess? We don’t really have any official titles here.”

“Why’s that?” Kiyoko asked.

Yamaguchi laughed nervously. “Ah, well I’m sure Tobio can explain better than me.” He shrugged. “I was sent for because apparently you requested some water to make yourselves more presentable?”

Daichi hummed, noting that there didn’t seem to be any water readily to hand. “Yeah, I asked Asahi if it was going to be trouble.”

“Oh it’s not trouble!” Yamaguchi hurriedly replied. “It’s just, I thought there were only a few of you so a few buckets of water would’ve sufficed but uh…” he trailed off momentarily. “I’m going to have to ask Tobio if he’ll let you use the springs.”

Before anyone could clarify what Yamaguchi was talking about, he was gone. They fell back into silence, each mulling over their own thoughts. Kuroo glanced down at Akaashi and gently moved his hand away from his forehead. A small chuckle escaped him as he realised the other had fallen asleep. His breathing was even, no sign of a nightmare occurring.  
Everyone was aware that they had been sat in silence for a while, most of them lost to their own musings, others deciding to catch some sleep. Hinata had continued to manipulate the fire in the firepit, finding comfort in the warmth that felt more familiar to him than the rest of his surroundings. Lev sat at his feet, eyes fixated on the bright flickering flames, his tail twitched as Hinata made the fire move with ease.

Footsteps outside caught their attention. The door opened slowly and Yamaguchi entered with a small smile.

“Good news,” he stated to the party “Tobio’s granted you all use of the springs to freshen up.”

“What springs?” Yaku asked.

Yamaguchi swallowed. “Oh, right…Uhm. The volcano that the kingdom is built on provides hot springs.” He gestured to the window “This castle has one running underneath it so we have fresh water all the time. Usually Tobio is cautious about it being used by those he doesn’t know, but he’s made an exception this time.”

“How nice of him.” Kunimi snorted.

Yamaguchi didn’t bat an eyelid at Kunimi’s comment. “So if you want, you can use it.” He smiled. “Asahi and I can take you there.”

Daichi nodded. “Sure, give us a few minutes.”

“Of course, I’ll get Kyoutani to bring up your supplies from your horses.” Yamaguchi backed out of the room again.

Suga shook his head as soon as the door was firmly closed. “This seems off.”

“I agree.” Kuroo immediately added. “I say we don’t all go at once.”

“I am not splitting the guild again.” Daichi told the room. “We’re stronger together and right now we can only trust each other.”

“That’s true.” Kuroo sighed, glancing again at Akaashi’s sleeping form. “…but Keiji’s sleeping, so I’d prefer to stay here and let him rest.”

He got a nod of understanding from both Daichi and Suga. They waited for Kyoutani to deliver their supply packs from their horses before agreeing to follow Yamaguchi, leaving Kuroo and Akaashi in the guest room. They were led down the staircase and through a door into what seemed to be a storage room. A set of stone steps led down into a dimly lit room.

The feeling of hot damp air was welcome after the recent days of travelling in the wind and rain. As they reached the bottom of the stone staircase, the sound of running water caught their attention. Rounding a corner and through a set of wooden doors, a cavern opened up to them. Stone pillars held up the ceiling and supported the wooden panelled fences that obstructed any view of the rest of the cavern. There was a slight breeze whipping around the area, but that didn’t seem to affect the steam rising from a large pool of clear water. A complex arrangement of waterfalls flowed into each other, spilling over the dark stone and ultimately fed the larger pool itself lined with dark grey smooth stone. Climbing plants adorned the wooden fences, their flower petals littering the floor and the waterfalls alike, adding a splash of colour to the earthy tones of the area.

“How long do we have?” Suga asked Yamaguchi.

He shrugged. “As long as you guys need, we’ll make sure you’re back in time for dinner.”

Suga nodded slowly. “Okay, thanks for sorting this all out.”

Yamaguchi smiled. “It’s no problem, Tobio doesn’t want you to feel like he hates you.”

“How so?”

“…Uhm, he’ll explain over dinner probably—”

“But I’m asking you.” Suga folded his arms across his chest as the others began stripping off layers of clothes. “At least give us something to go on.”

Yamaguchi sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “Tobio hasn’t had the easiest time recently, he lost his entire family in one night and everything he knew has been turned upside down.” He spoke quietly, eventually meeting Suga’s gaze with a much more intense expression. “He seeks to right his world, and right now you’re his only means of doing so.”

“He wants to use us to right some of the wrongs that have been done?” Suga summarised in an equally hushed tone.

“Somewhat. There’s a reason Tsukishima brought you guys here without telling you who he was, if you knew what you had really walked into today, at least half of your guild would’ve turned around and ran.”

“Why do you say that?” Suga was ignoring the calls from the warm water to join them, he was adamant he was getting something from Yamaguchi.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re a guild of assassins and thieves.” Yamaguchi waited for Suga’s nod. “He’s on the cusp of declaring war with House Oikawa. And I very much doubt you want to be caught in the crossfire.”

Suga’s eyes widened, he swallowed as the idea sunk in. He wanted to press for more answers but Yamaguchi shook his head when he opened his mouth to speak.

“Sugawara, I would take this time to relax.” He murmured. “Prepare yourselves for Tobio’s questions, he’ll want to know every single detail no matter how small.”

“Right.” Suga sighed.

“And disregard everything you thought you knew about Tsukishima.” Yamaguchi uttered as he turned to leave. “He is good at the art of deceit. Whatever he’s told you is probably a lie.”

Suga let the steward leave, clocking that Asahi was standing near the door but barely watching them. He turned his attention to the spring, most of the party had stripped off and were already sat in the warm water. There had been some questions raised about Nishinoya's sparking hands being an issue but he had assured them he had his powers under control now.

Kiyoko simply sat on the side of the pool, still wearing a loose layer of clothing with her legs dipped into the water, Hinata sat next to her also showing little inclination to join the others fully immersed in the pool. Suga smiled as he joined them both, gently nudging Kiyoko’s side as he sat down.

“Don’t want to get in fully?” He asked.

She smiled back. “Not with all of them in there.” She chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I have no reservations about bathing with them, it’s just not the biggest of pools.”

He nodded, meeting Hinata’s gaze. “And you?”

Hinata shrugged. “I’m okay.”

Suga wasn’t quite buying it but he nodded anyway. They watched the others mostly sitting calmly in the water, Bokuto and Tanaka were being slightly rowdier but for the most part, everyone was just thankful for the heat. The aching in their joints, the soreness in their muscles, the tension that was building up were all being eased slowly by the mountain water.

Idle chitchat took over, mostly to do with Bokuto and Tanaka’s tattoos and their time on Misaki’s ship. Not a single word was uttered about their current situation, about how truly terrified they all felt deep down.

“Say,” Bokuto broke the calm quiet that had fallen “guys can I be honest with you all?”

Daichi wasn’t sure where this was going. “Sure? What’s on your mind?”

Bokuto let out a heavy sigh. “I’m worried about Akaashi.”

Suga and Kiyoko exchanged a glance as Bokuto continued.

“Since meeting up with him again he seems…more tense? Kuroo noticed it last night too. Has something happened since we left for Kitamine?”

There was a pause, none of the Tanishiti party really wanted to tell Bokuto about the border incident. Kunimi finally broke the silence.

“Well there was the light on the border thing…”

“We don’t know what that was caused by.” Moniwa quickly added.

“It’s pretty obvious it was the rune.” Kindaichi chipped in. “You said so yourself Moniwa.”

“I said it’s possible.”

Bokuto seemed bewildered by the sudden knowledge. “What ‘thing’?”

Kiyoko cleared her throat. “All we can tell you is what we know happened. Akaashi probably thinks differently.”

“Tell me.” Bokuto said. “Everything.”

Kiyoko nodded, shifting her sitting position slightly. “Okay, so Kunimi was on watch…"

 

* * *

 

 

Lev’s tail twitched as he lay next to Akaashi, head resting on his front paw, eyes fixed on Kuroo’s soft expression. The three of them had been left by the others at Kuroo’s request, he knew Akaashi had been anything but relaxed the last few days and the fact that he fell asleep so easily said a lot.

Fingertips brushed over Akaashi’s cheek, Kuroo could see the dark shadows under his closed eyes. He swallowed as he traced the defined cheekbones of the other. There was a nagging feeling in his head that something wasn’t right. He slowly withdrew his hand and sat up, Lev’s ears pricked up as Kuroo shifted. Green eyes watched Kuroo get up from the pile of blankets and pace over to the window.

“What is going on here…” Kuroo murmured. “How did the reports get this all so wrong…this castle shouldn’t even exist. How did they cover all this up?”

Lev met out a small meow, Akaashi stirred slightly. Kuroo’s gaze remained fixed on the view outside; the various coloured leaves, the city below them with its sloped roofs and the stream running through it. The fresh air felt nice against his face, but it wasn’t enough to distract him from the problem at hand.

“Why cover it up?” Kuroo sighed, leaning against the window frame. “Why would they lie about it?”

“You’re thinking too much…” Akaashi quietly chuckled, drawing Kuroo’s attention away from the window.

“You’re awake.” Kuroo smiled as he walked back over and knell beside Akaashi who had sat up. “Are you…okay?”

Akaashi laughed, reaching out and taking Kuroo’s hand in his. “I was just tired, it’s been a long few days.”

Kuroo nodded. “…yeah, for you and me both.”

Akaashi tilted his head slightly, squeezing Kuroo’s hand. “Talk me through your thoughts, I’d rather hear you say it rather than read them myself.”

Kuroo sighed heavily, as much as he wanted to bare all his thoughts to the other, he was more concerned with how Akaashi was holding up.

“You first.” He stated.

Akaashi swallowed, forcing a smile. “Sure, I uh…where do you want me to start?”

Kuroo gave him a puzzled look. “Keiji, I’m not interrogating you…” He shuffled a little closer. “I’m just worried about you, I mean—”

Hands came up to hold Kuroo’s face, stopping him from babbling any further. Akaashi pressed his forehead to Kuroo’s, breathing shallowly.

“I get it,” Akaashi whispered. “And the truth is, I’m…I’m not totally okay.”

Kuroo nodded, bringing an arm around Akaashi to bring him closer. “Go on.”

“Since hearing that the Serpents have gone underground, I’ve been on edge. I had more nightmares, I snapped at the others, I’ve felt sick to my stomach around Tsukishima.” He listed off. “It all got too much when we got to the border.”

“What happened at the border?” Kuroo asked, covering Akaashi’s hands with his own.

“Kunimi saw a light travelling along the wall, I woke up to see it halted in line with our camp. I told Kunimi to go to sleep, that I’d keep watch.” Akaashi paused for a moment. “I watched it, I watched it for a while. It was just there.”

“What did it look like?”

Akaashi shook his head. “It was a ball of light, could’ve been a torchlight, could’ve been magic. But…” he pulled back a little and met Kuroo’s gaze, wetting his lips as he paused “the longer I watched it…I got tunnel vision.”

“Right,” Kuroo breathed “tunnel vision how?”

“I could only see the light, this blue-white light. It was all I could see. I felt like someone was watching me.”

“Someone watching you?”

Akaashi nodded. “You know you get that skin crawling feeling when I read your thoughts sometimes? Well I get it too, except it’s more…deep.”

Kuroo squeezed Akaashi’s hands.

“It shakes me to my core whenever it happens.” Akaashi continued “Tsukishima tried several times.”

“That bastard…” Kuroo sighed. “Did he…what did he do to Yaku?”

Akaashi pulled away abruptly. “I…” He trailed off, his gaze flickering over to where Lev was curled up on the bed covers. “I don’t know fully, but I have a vague notion...”

Kuroo nodded. “Okay, okay I get it.” He rubbed his jaw. “I’m guessing it’s a miracle that Yaku’s relatively…unscathed.”

Akaashi hummed. “I don’t know what that light on the border was, all I can say is that I got the same feeling from it that I do when another empath mage tries to read my thoughts.”

There was a pause as Kuroo mulled it over. He stood up again and began pacing the room. There was a lot to unpack. He sighed heavily as he rubbed his face. The days of travelling had been full of thoughts, both negative and positive. He hadn’t had time to process his own experiences let alone the other party’s.

He turned to face Akaashi, watching as the other shifted the cushions and let out a tired sigh. Lev chirped at the movement before abruptly jumping off the pile of blankets and stalking over to the sunken fire-pit and curling up on the floor by it. Kuroo let out a sigh.

“…Keiji.”

“Mhm?” Akaashi kept his expression neutral as Kuroo slowly stepped closer.

“Come here.”

Slowly, Akaashi rose to his feet as Kuroo held out his hands. They linked their fingers together as Kuroo leaned down and pressed his lips to Akaashi’s. The softness of Akaashi’s lips against his prompted Kuroo to drop one of Akaashi’s hand and hold the back of his head. He deepened the kiss before pulling back breathlessly.

“Gods I missed you.” He breathed. “I know it’s probably obvious,”

“I missed you too.” Akaashi squeezed Kuroo’s hand. “Every night.”

Kuroo let out a breathless laugh. “You don’t make it obvious.”

Akaashi kissed him, biting at his lip as he pulled away. “That’s because I know how easy it is to manipulate emotions. So I keep my own in check as best I can.”

Kuroo gently ran a hand through Akaashi’s hair, pulling his head back and looking at him fondly.

“When all this bullshit is over,” He swallowed, bringing Akaashi’s hand to his lips and kissing the silver band. “I want to meet your family.”

Akaashi swallowed, smile faltering slightly. “My…my family.”

“Yes.” Kuroo kept his gaze on Akaashi’s eyes, they always held an essence of mystery, of inner workings. They drew Kuroo in every time they were alone together.

“Why?” Akaashi’s eyebrows furrowed. “I left them nearly three summers ago.”

“I know, but…” he chewed on his lip. “Listen you know what happened to my mother, you know that…I have no-one but The Brotherhood and you. And I love the guild, I really do—”

“So why is my blood kin that important?” Akaashi’s confusion was clear as he pulled back slightly.

Kuroo frowned. “Because they’re still your family, I’m not asking you to return fully. I just…” he trailed off. “I want them to know that you’re happy...with me.”

Akaashi’s expression softened. He smiled and blinked rapidly before averting his gaze. A hand came up to cup his face and wipe away the tear that fell.

“What’s wrong?”

Akaashi shook his head. “I just don’t know how they’d…react. They don’t know that I’m…I don’t want to be with a woman.”

Kuroo nodded slowly. “Ah.”

“It’s been nearly three summers, I’ve barely sent any letters since joining The Brotherhood. I thought it would be better for them to not know the type of work we do.”

“Yeah, gods yeah.” Kuroo sighed. “Look, you don’t need to answer right now. I understand it’s a lot to ask.” He smiled, glancing out of the window to see the sun beginning a slow descent in the sky. “How about we go and find the others?”

Akaashi smiled back. “Where…where are they?”

Kuroo chuckled. “You were asleep at the time, Tobio’s steward told us there are hot springs under the castle so the others went down there to get cleaned up. We can go join them, I’m sure the guy is around somewhere.”

“We taking Lev?” Akaashi nodded to the cat still curled up by the firepit.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine here for a while.” Kuroo remarked, taking Akaashi’s hands in his and guiding him towards the door. “Right now I think we need to focus on ourselves.”

“I can agree with that."


	27. Dinner with the Dragon of the East

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just a small update concerning overall length; assuming I stay on track with things, there should be around...52 chapters in all. And hopefully, I'll get this fic finished during Nanowrimo! Once I've finished writing it, updates will be quite frequent :3

**XXVI**

**Dinner with the Dragon of the East**

The orange glow of the setting sun bathed the guest room in warmth. The fire-pit had continued burning even with its limited fuel, further warming their tired bodies as they waited to be fetched by Tobio’s steward. They had all agreed that unless asked directly, Daichi and Kiyoko would handle the questions Tobio asked, with the occasional input from the others if needed. Between the two of them, the situation wouldn’t spiral out of control as long as Tobio reacted as they anticipated.

Under no circumstances was anyone going to antagonise the young king, nor were they going to question Tsukishima’s status within House Oikawa’s court. As far as Daichi was concerned, beyond getting Kunimi pardoned, this wasn’t their business. They didn’t need to get tangled up in a feud between two kingdoms.

The door slid open without warning, Yamaguchi smiled as he nodded to Daichi. They all got to their feet and made their way out of the room, slipping on their boots as they did so. No-one spoke as Yamaguchi gestured for them to follow him down the staircase within the tower. They passed through the throne room, orange light seeped in and gave the room a more welcoming feel than earlier. Rattling in the rafters put them on edge but Yamaguchi shrugged it off as he ushered the party towards another set of doors.

The room that greeted them was lit with several candles within square paper lanterns, a long rectangular sunken fire-pit was the centrepiece, flames roaring as thick chains suspended cooking pots and kettles over them. Clay plates and bowls lined the smooth black stone that surrounded the fire, bottles of ale and mead were partnered up with tankards and a square cushion indicating carefully spaced seats. Kyoutani stood at the far end of the fire-pit, almost like he was guarding the head of the seating arrangements.

“Just…sit wherever?” Tanaka asked.

“Yes. Tobio will be here shortly.” Yamaguchi replied. “Help yourselves to the stew and drinks. Once everyone is settled we’ll put the meat over the fire.”

The guild did as they were told, under Yamaguchi’s advice Daichi and Kiyoko were seated nearer where the king would be sitting. The rest of the guild were content to pick their own seats, most of then understanding that this was a formality and the real pressure was off them and on their more seasoned leaders. Suga and Kuroo made sure to sit close to the action though, with Kunimi not entirely certain he wanted to be oblivious to the proceedings either.

Once they were all seated and the first few drinks poured, they waited for the king to join them. Daichi dared to exchange glances with Kiyoko and Suga, there was a sense that this would be anything but smooth sailing. Kuroo seemed the most at ease, running his fingertip around the rim of his tankard.

“How can you be so calm?” Kiyoko whispered.

Kuroo smiled. “Because this is the kind of thing the guild has experience in; trading information. It’s how we started out so it seems only fitting it’s how we start this discussion.”

“But this is a king,” Kiyoko replied. “You can’t threaten to disembowel him if he doesn’t want to give you the info you want.”

There was a slight nod from Kuroo, his eyes flickering around the room. The walls were thicker than upstairs but still made up of the parchment-like material. Elaborate inked artwork decorated them like cave paintings, the theme of dragons appeared to be one Tobio took to heart as a long serpent-like dragon dominated the walls. He took in the sharp spines of its back, the lack of obvious wings like the statues and tapestries often depicted. There was something almost mythical about it.

“You’re right, I can’t threaten him.” Kuroo murmured, turning his attention back to the conversation. “However he needs something from us, and he’s too young to really understand how the world beyond his borders work. We have the upper hand here.”

Suga shook his head. “I don’t think that’s right at all,” he glanced towards Kyoutani who was in deep conversation with Yamaguchi “his entire family were gone in a night, he’s the lone survivor of the House.”

“So?” Kuroo asked, taking his tankard in hand. “Everyone thinks he’s dead.”

“Yet he’s very much alive.” Daichi said. “And with at least three people in his service.”

“Questions will need to be asked, Tooru will want to know how this happened.” Kiyoko rubbed her forehead. “Except Tobio’s the one asking us questions, not the other way around.”

Kuroo watched Kyoutani nod to Yamaguchi and then swiftly move towards another set of double doors. The artwork of the dragon was disrupted as the sliding doors opened, a narrow corridor stretched into the dim light. They waited for a while longer before Kyoutani returned. He stepped in line with the fire-pit and cleared his throat to summon everyone’s attention.

“Presenting his royal highness, ruler of the eastern kingdom, the lone figurehead of the royal bloodline, King Tobio of House Kageyama.” He gestured to the doorway where Asahi stood guard.

Up close, the guild could see the signs of youth more clearly on the king’s face. As he strode towards his seat, any doubt over his confidence was quashed. Despite his age, he held himself with certainty. He nodded in thanks to both Kyoutani and Asahi before kneeling on the cushion laid out for him. Nimble fingers turned up the sleeves of his dark grey shirt, a single ring adorned his middle finger of his left hand, black in colour except for the striking red gem embedded in it and the silver letters of an unclear language. He picked up one of the tankards, swirling the contents around for a moment before raising it in a toast.

“I thank you for your patience.” He spoke softly, he was stoic as he cast his gaze around the group. “Let us not waste any more time, please eat and drink.”

There were a few glances of uncertainty flashed across the table, but no-one objected. Food was brought out; slate slabs piled with various cuts of meat, baskets of bread and vegetables accompanying them. For a party that hadn’t eaten so lavishly before, it was only a matter of time before they indulged themselves. The aroma of roasting meat filled the air, the crackling and hissing of the flames filled the void of conversation.

The four seated next to the king remained quiet, they ate and drank as Tobio did. To them it seemed he wasn’t fazed by the circumstances of which they had arrived in his land. He watched the group dine on the food presented to them, not saying a word even as the conversation began breaking out further away from him.

It was only when his tankard was empty that he spoke.

“So, first tell me how someone managed to get a bounty so severe that Tooru sent you to the wilderness of the east?” He locked eyes with Daichi. “Surely if he wanted information, a scout would’ve been better for him.”

Daichi nodded, setting down his tankard and picking up a bread roll. “Well, one of our younger members got caught up in a misunderstanding…”

Tobio raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Misunderstanding about what?”

Kiyoko cleared her throat. “He overheard the court mages talking about assassinating the late figurehead of House Oikawa.” She met Tobio’s gaze and waited for any flicker of recollection to pass over his features. “He acted rashly and ultimately was considered the perpetrator instead of those who were actually responsible.”

“Oh yeah? So how did he not get drawn and quartered where he stood?” Tobio’s smirk was allowed to show. “Had to have been a big deal.”

Kuroo snorted. “He evaded capture and got picked up by one of our other members. We didn’t know who he was or what he was fleeing, we don’t ask those kinds of questions.”

Tobio hummed, watching as Yamaguchi refilled his tankard. “So you housed a criminal of the kingdom for a time, and now Tooru has decided to pardon him on what basis?”

There was a glance exchanged before Daichi answered; “We were sent here to confirm whether or not…you were alive, sire.”

Tobio laughed, a short sarcastic laugh that sounded far from genuine amusement. “And why were you sent rather than his official scouts?”

Daichi tore off a piece of bread and popped it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, mulling over how to reply without laying all their cards on the table.

“Well, Kunimi needed to clear his name, we were willing to do whatever Tooru wanted.” Daichi eventually replied. “I wasn’t privy to the details.”

Kiyoko interjected, “It was a case of Tooru demanding Kunimi proved his loyalty to the house” she drummed her fingers on her knee as Daichi tore off another piece of bread. “Tooru had been hearing reports of movement in this region so it was fairly straightforward to ask us to clarify those reports.”

Tobio let his eyes shut momentarily. “Loyalty huh.” He breathed, casting his eyes down at his lap. “What would he know about that…”

“In any case,” Daichi continued, not wanting to try unpicking the meaning behind Tobio’s remark, “we were sent with Tsukishima acting as the scout.”

Tobio snorted, meeting Daichi’s gaze again. “Yeah? So Tooru is naive enough to trust anyone to do his bidding.”

Another uneasy glance was exchanged between the guild members. “We don’t quite follow sire,” Kiyoko delicately put “who exactly does Tsukishima work for?”

There was a shrug from Tobio. “He’s…not strictly loyal to anyone.” He took a drink from his tankard. “He’s worked for me for a while, I sent him to Tooru to get me a read on the current situation. In that time he gained Tooru's trust.”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “So he got Tooru’s trust and now what?”

Tobio put up a hand to cease any more questions. He beckoned Yamaguchi over and whispered something in his ear before the other backed away with a nod of understanding.

“First,” he folded his hands in his lap firmly “you’re going to tell me exactly what you think you know about my kingdom and I’ll see if it matches up with what the reality is.”

Suga cleared his throat. “Sire, there are fourteen of us in total. Each of us probably has our own understanding of your kingdom—”

“Then give me an overall summary.” Tobio sighed, rolling his eyes. “I will press for details if I must.”

Kuroo had just about lost his patience with the other. “Alright.” He said loudly. “Here’s your summary; your kingdom was wiped out in a volcanic eruption, your family is dead, no-one has heard a word from beyond your border since that happened, everyone assumed you were dead and that your castle is cursed.  
And there’s also the fact that we know you’re working with the Blue Serpents to try and dethrone Tooru, you probably help them cause misery and chaos in his kingdom and have only popped up now because Tooru’s started getting wise to your schemes.”

The air felt heavy as Tobio blinked slowly, a frown slowly forming on his face as no-one dared to say anything to confirm or deny Kuroo’s ramblings as fact. He turned to catch Kyoutani’s eye and beckoned him over.

“Kentarou, who are these ‘Blue Serpents’ that he speaks of?”

Kuroo’s eyes widened almost comically as Tobio’s expression showed more confusion than irritation.

Kyoutani raised an eyebrow. “The Serpents?” He clarified, getting a nod from Tobio. “Huh, last I heard they were some barbaric clan from the northern territories.”

“…are we working with them?” Tobio asked, meeting Kuroo’s gaze.

“Uh, no.” Kyoutani replied, taking a step back.

Kuroo shook his head. “We heard some woman pledge allegiance to your house right after stating she was going to murder Tooru.”

Tobio’s frown grew. “Well, I can see this is going to be a lengthier discussion than I anticipated.” He turned his gaze to Daichi. “Once we have finished eating, Yamaguchi will escort however many of you it’ll take to untangle this mess to my chambers.”

Daichi found himself nodding. “Right, how many—”

“However many of you it takes to explain it all to me.” Tobio reiterated through gritted teeth.

The conversation ended abruptly. For the most part, the rest of the party had listened in on the conversation and didn’t see the point in trying to interrupt. The distraction the rich food offered was enough to prevent the need to get involved in the delicate debate at the other end of the fire-pit.

Tobio decided the meal was over and declared that he would be in his chambers. The guild was told to figure out who was going to go and explain the entire situation to Tobio and to be quick about it.

 

* * *

 

Moniwa swallowed as flicked through the pages of his journal. When he agreed to join the guild he had never anticipated being dragged into a different kingdom and ordered to explain what he knew of a kingdom that by all accounts had remained firmly out of his mind. Yet here he was, trying to remember the vague details he had read over the years in preparation for meeting with the king again.

Kunimi sighed heavily as he watched Moniwa nervously flick through the journal again. As soon as Tobio had commanded them to explain every detail to him, he had somewhat expected to be dragged into the proceedings. After all, he was the one who Tooru had been so adamant about seeking out, he was the one here on official business on behalf of the other king. He had grown up inside the palace too.

They waited for Kuroo and Daichi, Kiyoko was pacing the throne room slowly, her patience dwindling as the room darkened with the night creeping in. Between the five of them, they would tell Tobio what he wanted to hear and hope he didn’t receive the news poorly. Reason told them that Tobio wouldn’t try to imprison them indefinitely, there were simply too many of them to deal with. It would also arouse suspicion from Tooru if all of them failed to return.

Footsteps alerted them to the guild leaders joining them. They were followed by Yamaguchi who beckoned the group to follow him back through the castle. Not a word was spoken between them as they were led back into the room they had eaten in and then into the narrow hallway beyond it. Once they had ascended two floors via a wooden staircase, Yamaguchi made them pause for a moment. Night had fallen so candles had to be lit in order to ensure they didn’t walk into - or rather through - the thin walls. Through the gloom of the hallway, they could see the glow of candles beyond the sliding door at the end of the hallway. Asahi’s imposing figure stood in the dimness, implying the king’s chamber lay just beyond the doorway.

As they halted at the door, Yamaguchi gave them a neutral glance. “Try not to anger him…you may not live long enough to regret it.”

They exchanged uneasy glances as the door was slowly slid open. They entered the spacious room, lanterns were suspended from the ceiling on chains giving off a warm and inviting light. Kunimi immediately saw the differences between this chamber and the one he used to clean in Tooru’s palace. House Oikawa favoured large four poster beds with drapes, ornate chests of clothes and natural light flooding into the room. To him, it seemed House Kageyama preferred things a lot differently. The standout feature to him was the raised stone platform that the bed was situated on. By all accounts, to him it looked like Tobio slept on the floor. Adorning the walls were hanging scrolls, some depicting the House symbol of the dragon like the one hung above the main door, others had phrases akin to battle cries and wise sayings, all followed the same orange and black colour scheme of the House’s colours with small hints of blue here and there. A large circular window was shuttered closed, keeping the natural light out and the room feeling gloomy.

Tobio himself sat at a low table, a tray of white pillar candles were lit in the centre of the polished wood, not giving much room for the tea set that he had provided for them. They didn’t waste time in sitting with him, Moniwa shifting slightly more than the others as the silence settled.

As the tea was poured between them, Daichi saw it as his role to begin the conversation.

“Where do you want us to start?” He asked. Tobio seemed calm, his gaze focused on the cup cradled in one hand as the other gently drummed fingertips against the side of it. His face expressionless as he remained quiet for a few moments. Yamaguchi’s warning seemed unnecessary.

“None of you even know what happened, that much is clear to me. You all believe an eruption killed my family and drove my people away.” Tobio murmured, cradling his tea. “Don’t you?”

Daichi wasn’t sure where this was leading but he shook his head. “We don’t know. The records are…vague at best.”

Tobio snorted. “Very well, what do these vague records say? I’ll fill in the blanks.”

There were a few moments of silence as Moniwa scanned his notes. Tobio was patient as he waited. Moniwa cleared his throat and began paraphrasing whatever was written.

“So in the late stages of the growing season, scouts of House Oikawa were called to investigate reports of smoke in the sky above the border. Upon discovering the thick smoke was coming from a nearby mountain, the scouts pressed onwards into the kingdom of Kageyama where they made further discoveries of a volcanic eruption...the city and castle were in ruins.” He glanced up at Tobio, watching to see his reaction. “They checked for survivors but found none. They returned to Tanishiti to await news that the royal house had found sanctuary in the empire. But when none came  
When contact from your kingdom ceased, people started asking questions. That was when Tooru’s father declared that you…” he trailed off. “That you were dead. He stated that the land unaffected by the eruption would become House Oikawa’s so it could still be worked.”

Tobio took a long sip of tea. “Well they got some of it right I guess. You know, apart from the volcano killing everyone and destroying everything…”

“No-one had any reason to say House Oikawa was lying,” Daichi added quickly. “Your own people stated an eruption happened—”

Tobio set his cup down. “I never said an eruption never happened.” He uttered. Kiyoko and Kuroo exchanged a glance as Tobio poured himself more tea.”What do you people know of my kingdom anyway? What are your kin taught about my family? About our way of life?”

No-one really had an answer. Moniwa flicked through the journal, trying to recall something that would help them.

“I hail from a village on the coast,” Kiyoko spoke quietly “I never heard anything about either kingdom until recently. But what I learnt about your kingdom is that your people work hard, they value the power of nature, especially the mountains that house the volcano.”

Tobio nodded. “Akumanokuchi.” He breathed. “It’s barely half a day’s ride away from here.”

“…it’s literally called ‘Devils Breath’?” Kuroo clarified, getting another nod.

“There are legends about it, ones that have been heeded by my ancestors as warnings about letting this land fall into rival hands. I don’t whole-heartedly believe though.”

Moniwa dug a piece of charcoal out of his jacket pocket and began scribbling notes down.

“It erupted the day of the invasion.” Tobio went on. “One could say it was as the prophecy foretold; an enemy approaches and the mountain lashed out in protest.” He snorted. “Not that it helped of course.”

Daichi eyed Moniwa’s new notes. “So, your grandfather was king before…the invasion.” He said carefully. “What happened, if it wasn’t a freak eruption?”

Tobio straightened his posture, meeting Daichi’s gaze for the first time. His eyes a dark hue of blue in the flickering light of the candle, there was almost an emptiness about them as Daichi held his gaze.

“I remember the war horns.” He stated. “The frantic calls from our guardsmen, the rattling of leather buckles as they scrambled to ready themselves. My mother took my hand and tugged me from my chamber towards the stables.  
She knelt down to look me in the eye, she told me that I had to be strong, that I would be the king soon enough. She told me that Asahi was sworn to protect me and I was sworn to protect the crown from the likes of them.” He spat the word as if it was a foul poison on his lips. “I remember her readying herself for the battle, my father at her side. Asahi saddled our horses, Yamaguchi collected what needed to be kept safe. The last thing I recall from that day is my father handing me his ring and telling me to remember the names of those who forced our hand.”

The candles flickered as Tobio drained his cup and set it down. Kuroo watched him intently as the silence settled. He couldn’t quite shake this odd feeling about him upon hearing Tobio’s thoughts. The idea that the prince was thrust into the care of his guardsmen and told to ride away from his family being slaughtered wasn’t a pleasant one.

Yet in a strange way, Kuroo felt he could relate to the idea of being powerless to stop the events unfolding.

“So you heeded their wishes.” He said. “You spent two summers in the wilderness, why only come back then? Why didn’t you return to see if anyone survived?”

Tobio’s eyes fixed on Kuroo, the unwavering gaze sent a small shiver through Kuroo. These were the eyes of a boy who had seen more than he should’ve.

“Seeing the skeletal remains of my parents sprawled out in the throne room where my grandfather ruled from was bad enough.” He uttered, his hands balling into fists as they rested on his knees. “Both Asahi and Yamaguchi knew returning as soon as the fighting ceased would mean we’d be greeted by the walls painted in the blood of my family, my friends, those who raised me as their own.  
I know as a king, such things are merely a gruesome part of my duty, but there was no advantage to be had by returning to the smouldering ashes of my home.”

A heavy silence fell.

“And I know it was them because we found one of their banners in our throne room.” Tobio stated. “This was no attack from a bandit clan. This was an invasion by House Oikawa.”

Daichi cleared his throat, casting a warning glance to Kuroo before the conversation could continue down the depressing rabbit-hole. “In any case, you remained in the wilderness for two years and then returned…and you’ve been rebuilding ever since?”

Tobio nodded. “We found Kyoutani whilst we were in exile. He kept us safe from roaming bandits and the wilderness. We weren’t equipped to deal with being away from home for that long.”

There was a pause. No-one really wanted to address the obvious question that was on their lips. Kiyoko let out a heavy sigh.

“Sire,” she murmured, getting a slight nod and the flicker of a smile from Tobio, “what do you plan to do now? You know Tooru is on the throne, you know we’re here on an order from him to report back…what do you want from us?”

Moniwa glanced up from his hastily scribbled notes. He watched as Tobio stood from his seat and slowly walked towards the largest of the wall scrolls. The king stood still for a moment, his gaze on the carefully inked words below a dragon in flight.

“My kingdom was never conquered,” Tobio stated. “But Tooru is scared enough of the prospect that I’m alive to send a party of assassins into my home…surely you can see that this him begging for me to retaliate?”

Kunimi snorted, speaking up for the first time. “You want to use us as pawns?”

A laugh was the first reply. “No,” Tobio glanced over his shoulder at them, the smirk from earlier back on his face, “I want you to do exactly what he ordered you to.”

“I don’t follow.” Kuroo immediately said. “That’ll just make him march over here—”

“And declare war on me.” Tobio turned to face them, hands clasped behind his back. He grinned. “And that’s exactly what I want him to do.”

 


	28. The Ice Mage

  
**XXVII**

**The Ice Mage**

 

Hinata couldn’t sleep. The walls of the castle were too thin, the air too cold. The brazier had fizzled out a while ago as the others slept soundly around him. Kenma had remained awake with him for a while talking about various things, but even he had fallen asleep by this point so Hinata was left alone with his thoughts. He was used to staring up at the ceiling of different rooms; the various inns and taverns they’d stop off in during their travels, the canvas of a make-shift shelter, occasionally barns or abandoned farm buildings. He had gotten used to the variety of dwellings. But something felt off in this castle, and Hinata wasn’t sure what was causing it.

Sitting up, he glanced around at the rest of his guild-brothers in the dim light that crept through the shutters. Everyone had been given a blanket of sorts by Tobio’s steward, meaning despite the chill that whipped through the room everyone would be warm through the night. Most of them had begun to drift to sleep by the time Daichi and the others returned from their meeting. No-one argued when Daichi declared they’d talk in the morning, the troubled expressions said it all. Everyone had gone to sleep quickly after that, talking in hushed tones continued for a while but died out as Tanaka’s snores filled the air. Even Lev had curled up between Kenma and Kiyoko and was snoozing, his ears twitched occasionally but otherwise remained still.

That was until Hinata decided that enough was enough and he needed to get up. Lev’s head shot up as the shifting of the blankets signalled someone was awake.

“It’s just me.” Hinata breathed as the cat chirped quietly. He felt the soft fur rub against his legs and faint vibration as Lev chirped again.

Careful not to wake anyone else, Hinata found his way to the sliding door of the room. There were lanterns still lit in the hallway so he guessed it must not be too late into the night. The open void on his right showed the moonlight casting shadows into the throne room below. Lev jumped up to sit on the wooden fencing that stopped people from falling into the room below, tail swishing as Hinata rested his elbows on the smooth surface and appreciated the strange beauty in the emptiness of the room.

Whilst there was mostly peaceful silence, there were a few sounds echoing through the castle. Wooden beams creaking, window shutters swinging in the wind, a low rumble that Hinata hoped was the dragon snoring. In his peripheral vision, Hinata noted Lev’s ears twitching and turning slightly with each new sound. There was a skin-crawling sensation slowly creeping over him that seemed to match up with Lev’s attention to detail.

“You can feel it too.” He said, voice barely above a whisper.

Nothing had spooked him, there was no immediate danger clear to him. Yet he knew something wasn’t right. He wanted to wake one of the others to ask if he was going crazy. The day had been long though, and there were other more worrisome things for the others to handle. He had begun to learn that the things he was experiencing weren’t always that big in the grand scale of things.

Footsteps below them made both him and Lev glance downward. A single light was making its way across the throne room away from them. As the light passed beneath the moonlight streaming in through the high windows, they could see a slim figure but they moved sluggishly for their size. Hinata wrinkled his nose as he considered who it might be, Asahi was a large imposing man who’d stride across the floor with no hesitation, Kyoutani was slightly smaller but he was quick, not one to drag his feet.

The figure paused. Hinata swallowed as they seemed to consider their surroundings. He noted Lev had gone still as a statue beside him. They both remained frozen as the figure and their accompanying light stayed rooted to the spot.

The sliding door behind him opened abruptly.

“’the hell are you doing?” Bokuto asked in a hushed tone, startling both Hinata and Lev.

“Uh—nothing!” Hinata could hear his pulse in his ears as he wheeled around to confront the other. Bokuto raised an eyebrow quizzically.

“Nothing huh? Then why’d you startle like a rabbit?” Bokuto countered, hands resting on his hips.

Hinata’s eyes had gone back to the throne room below, the figure and the light were gone. Bokuto glanced over the wall and saw the void below before focusing back on the guilty-looking Hinata with renewed scepticism.

“I…”

Hinata struggled to find an acceptable excuse, saying he couldn’t sleep wasn’t going to excuse him from wandering out of the room in a strange castle. Taverns and inns were more secure, they tended to have the same folk hanging around and therefore the same ways to avoid trouble. This was unknown territory however, territory they were technically trespassing in.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I wanted to get some air.” He finally replied. “Lev joined me, we were just enjoying the quiet when we both saw this…person…down below.”

Bokuto’s irritated expression faltered slightly. “Why are you so unsure about what you saw?”

As much as keeping secrets in the guild was a normality, there was nothing to say they couldn’t question each other’s behaviour. Bokuto had lived with mages long enough to know that they didn’t like painting the whole picture at first. Especially when those mages were Kenma and Akaashi. He waited and listened as Hinata described the skin crawling sensation and the way the castle felt weird to him. Admittedly, Bokuto wasn’t overly fond of their current dwellings but that was just down to how they ended up there, not because of some other-worldly force he wasn’t gifted with.

“So what do you wanna do about it?” He asked, figuring that words wouldn’t be enough to quell the uneasiness.

Hinata perked up a little as Bokuto smiled slightly. “Don’t you want to sleep?”

A heavy sigh left the other, he scratched the back of his head before he replied; “Well I’m not about to go back to bed knowing you’re feeling weird, that ain’t how I roll.”

“Oh, well…I don’t know what to do about it…”

Before Bokuto could suggest anything, Lev jumped down from the wooden fence, ears pricked attentively as he trotted towards the staircase leading downward. With no reason not to, they both followed him as quietly as they could, picking up one of the paper lanterns as they did so. Floorboards creaked as they passed the flickering lanterns that still lit the hallway. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Lev had stilled, tail flat against the stone flooring of the ground floor, eyes focused on the darkness in front of him. Through the archway the throne room opened up to them, silver beams of light illuminating the floor. The wall sconces were not lit, their candles long blown out indicating the king was at least in his chambers, if not asleep like the rest of their guild was.

“What’s wrong Lev?” Hinata whispered, kneeling down and casting his gaze around the void in front of them.

“He can probably hear that dragon,” Bokuto said, keeping his voice quiet, “I think it has a nest in the rafters.”

Lev’s tail twitched ever-so-slightly. They remained where they were, not uttering another word. The hairs on Hinata’s arms stood on end as chill whipped through the archway toward them. He swallowed as Lev took off without warning, claws clattering against the floor as he disappeared into the darkness. Bokuto seized Hinata’s arm before he could dash off in pursuit.

“Don’t just charge off without a light!” He hissed, holding the lantern up as he half-stepped in front of Hinata. “And certainly not on your own.”

With only a vague idea of where Lev tore off to, Bokuto held the lantern in front of him and began leading the way. The soft glow of the candle provided enough light to guide them toward the ajar sliding doors they had used earlier. With no other doors in sight, Bokuto gently pushed them open a little more.

Neither of them spoke, the silence hanging in the castle was enough to send shivers down their spines. Hinata felt the skin-crawling sensation stronger now as they stood in the hall they had dined in that evening. He stuck close to Bokuto as the light was shone around the large room.

“The door over there is open.” Bokuto breathed, noting the artwork that adorned the walls was slightly disturbed by a sliding panel out of place.

“Where does it lead?” Hinata lightly closed his fingers around Bokuto’s forearm.

“If I had to guess, I’d say the king’s quarters and whatever else Tobio is hiding in this place.”

“Do…you think Lev went that way?”

The rational side of Bokuto wanted to say that Lev would be fine, that they didn’t need to go poking around in the castle of a disgruntled king looking for him. But part of him was curious, curious about what mysteries lurked in the darkness, behind closed doors and hidden away from prying eyes.

There simply was no turning back once he decided that finding Lev would be their excuse if they were caught snooping around. After all, House Kageyama didn’t know how important Lev was to the guild, the fact they literally ‘acquired’ him a few days prior to arriving wasn’t any of their business. As far as they needed to know, Lev was the glue that held the guild together.

“Let’s find out.” Bokuto beckoned Hinata to follow, not that it was hard given Hinata was holding onto him.

They found themselves in a narrow hallway. Sliding doors were firmly closed around them, indicating Lev hadn’t found his way into any of those rooms. To their left a staircase ascended, a faint glow of a lantern urging them to follow. As the wood creaked under their feet, Hinata caught the aroma of burning oils. It was a smell familiar to him as one that frequently hung around Kenma’s clothes, a strong, sweet essence of wildflowers. He tried to remember the specific smells and what potions and poultices used them as Bokuto scanned their new surroundings. Another narrow hallway opened up to them, another staircase led up but they had discovered an open door.

The same door that the sweet smell was coming from.

Signalling to be quiet, Bokuto knelt down and cautiously made his way to the door that was partially open. The light that spilt into the hallway was from several candles inside the room, they could both hear a quiet voice murmuring over the sounds of parchment being ruffled. Hinata let out a heavy sigh, swallowing the lump in his throat. A slight pain had begun in his head that he had dismissed as being related to tiredness, but as they paused outside the room it had intensified without much warning.

“You good?” Bokuto mouthed at him, breath barely escaping him as the murmuring paused.

Hinata nodded, how convincing he was would be a matter for another time as a much more familiar noise shattered the silence.

_Mrrow_

Whoever was inside the room voiced their confusion, their voice showing their youth. Bokuto would’ve hazarded a guess that they weren’t much older than Hinata given the pitch to their voice. All he knew was that it wasn’t Yamaguchi.

“And who exactly are you?”

Lev clearly thought they were a friend as a more confident meow came out of the room. Bokuto could already see Kenma rolling his eyes at the retelling of this situation. However, that could wait for them to actually survive this encounter. He stood up, figuring there was little point trying to be sneaky by this point, and rapped his knuckles on the frame of the sliding door.

“Uh, yes?” The voice answered, “come in I guess?”

Bokuto nodded for Hinata to follow as he slid the door open a little more. They were greeted by tables covered in vials and bowls of in-progress poultices. It wasn’t much unlike Kenma’s set up. The distinct lack of overflowing bookshelves made it seem more different though, instead, the walls were covered in parchment drawings, inkings of animal tracks, diagrams of buildings and maps primarily of the kingdom and the disputed border. In the corner of the room was a designated sleeping area; blankets neatly folded atop themselves but not a sturdy bed frame or cot in sight.

Lev had made himself at home on the bed, green eyes wide and unwavering as Bokuto placed his hands on his hips and tried to figure out how to address this new situation.

“Hey,” Bokuto nodded to the owner of the room. He as young like Bokuto had guessed but the two of them were evenly matched in height, especially with their spiky brown hair, making it hard for Bokuto to look down on him. “So uh, that’s our cat.”

Hinata peered out from behind Bokuto at the stranger. They didn’t give off the same vibe that Kyoutani or Asahi did, but he had an air about him that Hinata didn’t want to challenge immediately. His head was still aching as they exchanged glances, brown eyes meeting his and a small smile appearing on the stranger’s face.

“Ah. You’re the band of lunatics that Kei brought to us.”

Bokuto somewhat wondered what had actually happened to Tsukishima since they arrived, he sensed this was not the time to ask. “Uh, we prefer ‘guild’ but sure, lunatics is probably an accurate way to put it.”

The stranger chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. “Yeah, I saw that entire exchange,” he gestured to a wall panel behind him “they were open when you arrived. Kyoutani’s dragon gave ya a bit of a scare?”

Bokuto snorted. “It’s not the first time we’ve dealt with a dragon…” He smirked.

“Sounds like a story is waiting to be told there.”

As easy as it would’ve been to tell the story of how Kiyoko ended up in the guild, Bokuto wasn’t stupid. “Well, what’s it to you? We’ve been introduced to Yamaguchi and Asahi, no mention of…” he glanced around the room “an alchemist.”

They chuckled a little louder. “I’m no alchemist.”

Hinata felt his hands heating up instinctively. Glancing around the room, he could tell that they weren’t as well-versed in alchemy like Kenma and Moniwa. They were simply dabbling, making up rudimentary potions to enhance powers and experimenting with wildflowers - hence the smell.

“You’re a mage.” Hinata stated abruptly, catching their gaze.

“As are you.” They countered.

"And I'm Bokuto." Bokuto grinned as he looked back and forth between them. He expected a standoff, a rivalry to spark into life, a war of words. Instead, a smile broke out on the stranger’s face again. A genuine smile.

“You’re not like Kei, are you?”

Hinata shook his head. “No, I’m a fire mage” he held up his fingers and let the flames ignite. He watched as they raised their hand and snapped their fingers, a wisp of cold air materialised and formed a solid chunk of ice.

“I’m an ice mage.” They nodded. “Just an ice mage. No hidden tricks here.”

“Hidden tricks?” Hinata cocked his head slightly, he could guess that they were referring to not having empath powers.

They shook their head, letting the chunk of ice melt in the palm of their hand. “Sou Inuoka, the only surviving mage of House Kageyama.” He declared. “The Ice Mage, to be precise.”

“There were more of…” Hinata started before realising what he was about to ask.

Inuoka nodded slightly, smile wavering. “Yeah, but I’m the only one left.” He shrugged. “It’s still a little raw to be honest.”

Bokuto cast a warning glance to Hinata as he cleared his throat. “Uh, well sorry for barging in on you so late.” He stepped over to the bed and picked Lev up. “This guy just took off out of our room—”

Lev let out an irritated noise at being torn away from his new bed, tail thrashing against Bokuto’s back as he was held under the other’s arm.

“Oh it’s fine,” Inuoka smiled “if anything it’s nice to actually see you up close. Kyoutani came bursting in here a while ago rambling about how many of you there were and how someone was throwing accusations around about who we work with.”

“…yes.” Bokuto nodded. “That would’ve been Kuroo.”

“He seems to think we work with the Blue Serpents.”

“Well…”

“Do you?” Hinata abruptly asked.

Inuoka raised an eyebrow. “No. In fact we actively turned them down when they tried to befriend us.”

Bokuto’s eyes widened. “…uh what?”

There was a moment of silence as Inuoka glanced back and forth between Hinata and Bokuto. He nodded slowly, clicking his teeth as he realised something.

“Right, so Tobio didn’t mention it.” He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. “I suppose I should tell you what happened.”

“Uh yeah.” Bokuto replied. “Tobio acted like he didn’t know who they were.”

“That’s because he never met them, we made sure of that.” Inuoka paced over to his bed and sat down. “It’s a long story, but here goes nothing…”  


* * *

  
Sunlight filtered through the shutters, there was a coolness in the air as the heavy breathing continued around him. A distant birdsong could be heard if he focused on it, if he quietened the whispers in his head long enough that is.

Since the confrontation with Tsukishima in the forest, Yaku hadn’t been able to shake the whispers in his thoughts. They stirred within him a sense that the mage was toying with him, that this was a game. He remembered the conversation with Akaashi on the way back from a job, how the other would manipulate the thoughts of their victims to spill their secrets. Yaku had been a little uneasy then about it, but now he was on the receiving end of the treatment. He found himself loathing the feeling of powerlessness.

“Morisuke?” A quiet voice drew him from his thoughts. He glanced over at Kindaichi’s sleepy expression and smiled.

“Mornin’.” He whispered back. “You wake early.”

Kindaichi sat up and stretched, his shoulders cracking at the movement. “Old habits die hard. The stableboys were always one of the first awake.”

“Huh, I guess. It just never struck me before.” Yaku watched as Kindaichi didn’t miss a beat and rose from his sleeping spot to rummage through the supplies for a change of clothes.

Even after being part of the guild for nearly three summers, Kindaichi hadn’t disclosed much about his life before joining. And since joining, he had done nothing but diligently fulfil the role he had fallen into of stablehand; rising early to feed the ever-increasing number of horses, mucking out their stalls, cleaning and organising the courtyard in general. Occasionally he took over from Kunimi on sentry duty but as they acquired more horses, he had found himself busier each day. It simply hadn’t occurred to Yaku that Kindaichi was one of the few who didn’t leave the guild on jobs, at least, not the jobs that Yaku himself took on.

Yet here Kindaichi was, halfway across the realm in a foreign and potentially hostile kingdom, rising early as he always did to go and tend to their horses. Yaku almost couldn’t believe how at ease the other seemed given their circumstances.

In a guild made up of murderers, thieves and mages, Kindaichi seemed the most normal alongside Moniwa.

“Do you want any help?” Yaku asked as Kindaichi pulled on a leather jacket. The other raised an eyebrow before shrugging.

“If you want, I wouldn’t mind the help.”

Once he was dressed, Yaku followed Kindaichi out of the guest quarters and down the stairs towards the throne room. He didn’t ask how Kindaichi knew where the horses were, simply following him through a door that seemed to lead out the back of the castle. He found himself in a large barn-like structure that still seemed attached to the main castle but the walls were sturdier. Though there were signs of wear and tear on the stalls as well as burn marks and missing panels on the inner walls. The familiar smell of horse greeted him, as did the sounds of the horses themselves.

Between them, they fed and watered each horse in their stall. Kindaichi then told Yaku to take the horses out one by one and give them a groom whilst he mucked out the stalls. For the most part, they remained quiet, only murmuring comforting words to the horses if they spooked in their unfamiliar environment.

“Say,” Yaku broke the silence between them as he put Yuki back in her stall and moved onto Raimei. “How did you end up in Tanishiti in the first place? Like, being in the stables? All I know is that Kunimi hid with you for a few days before I got him out of there.”

Kindaichi chuckled, setting the pitchfork down momentarily. “I was wondering when someone was going to ask.”

Yaku gave him a puzzled look as he led Raimei out of the stall. He got the stallion to wheel around so he could face Kindaichi whilst grooming him. Kindaichi picked up the pitchfork again and began the arduous task of mucking out the stall.

“Well, it’s nothing dramatic if that’s what you were thinking.” He said. “My pa is a farrier, fits shoes to horses and the like. Sometimes he’ll fix the odd tool or weapon but mostly just deals with horses. He doesn’t like staying in one place too long though, so since I can remember I never really had a permanent ‘home’.”

“Oh.” Yaku paused in brushing Raimei’s back. “What about your mother?”

Kindaichi shrugged. “Don’t know much about her, just that she got sick and had to move in with her ma. So my pa just took me with him wherever he went, we sent letters back to my ma every time we reached a big city. It wasn’t bad in all honesty.” He smiled. “I still occasionally send letters to her. She likes hearing about the horses we have.”

“So how’d you end up in Tanishiti?”

“When I was around twelve, my pa was working for the king’s unit and they had to go on a tour of the northern border. Normally my pa would’ve been fine with me tagging along, but the fact that the border is basically wilderness…yeah he wasn’t too happy about that.” Kindaichi paused to take a moment’s rest. “So he asked if I could remain in the palace stables just helping their stablehands and such, the king was fine with it because I knew the basics of shoeing a horse and could work an anvil too.”

Yaku nodded, prompting him to continue.

“My pa left with the king’s unit, I stayed behind and made friends with the stablehands and palace servants. Occasionally I was roped into helping saddle the prince’s horse which is how I ended up meeting Kunimi.”

“And when your father returned?”

Kindaichi started spreading fresh straw inside the stall. “I told him I was happy where I was, that I was getting paid a decent wage, I had friends and a roof over my head. He told me that he felt at ease knowing I was within the palace walls and not out in a tiny village. And then he left, onto the next city, the next job. I’ve not really heard much from him since - certainly not after leaving the palace.”

There was a pause as Yaku finished giving Raimei a brush down and returned him to the stall. Kindaichi didn’t seem bothered by the conversation at all, patting Raimei's neck before gesturing for Yaku move to the next stall.

“Don’t you want to contact your father though?” Yaku asked as Amaya's ears twitched at their arrival.

“When we get this pardon sorted, then I might ask around at the stables and see if he’s been by recently,” Kindaichi replied. “I’m not gonna go on a goose chase for him though, he’s always been the kinda guy who prefers being alone.”

Yaku nodded, he wasn’t gonna pry anymore into it. It seemed that Kindaichi didn’t feel down about being so disconnected from his family, and that was good enough reason to stop asking questions. They finished up with the horses and were about to begin climbing the steps back towards the guest quarters when raised voices caught their attention. Kindaichi was prepared to ignore them and be on his way but Yaku recognised the indifferent tone of a certain mage he had a bone to pick with.

Treading lightly, he honed in on where the voices were coming from and paused at the closed door that led to the room containing the stairs to the hot springs below the castle. It wasn’t hard to hear every word being said through the wall.

“ _You seem to think that they’re going to be a problem?_ ” Tsukishima’s tone reeked of mockery, something that the other person in the room didn’t rise to.

“ _No, I simply think you could’ve at least sent us a message before leading them right into the freaking throne room. What the hell were you thinking?_ ”

“ _Relax Tadashi, these lunatics just want to get the pardon from Tooru and they’ll be on their way. I highly doubt they want to stick around and get involved in the spat between the two kings_.”

Yaku resisted the urge to snort at the assumption.

“ _You don’t know what they’re gonna do. You don’t know them Kei. You just lied to them about who you are and now you’re trying to push Tobio into ridiculous schemes that the rest of us know nothing about!_ ”

There was a chuckle, Yaku could practically imagine Tsukishima adjusting his eyeglasses and looking down his nose at the other.

“ _Tobio needs someone to actually advise him. He sits on the throne of a scorned kingdom and all he’s done for the past two years is hide in the shadows until I brought that guild here. Now, and only now, he’s actually going to confront the matter as a true king should._ ”

“ _By starting a war! Are you fucking insane? I don’t care where you’re from or what the hell happened to make you into such a stuck up prick, but getting him to start a war with Tooru is only going to end in spilt blood and a permanent rift between the two kingdoms_.”

“ _And what’s so bad about that_?”

The sound of a slap made Yaku wince.

“ _You’re a monster. And if you think I’m going to stand by and let you talk my friend into starting a pointless war just for your own satisfaction, then you’re sorely mistaken. I don’t know how you convinced Tobio that you were trustworthy, but you’re nothing but a snake to me._ ”

Yaku took that as his cue to leave before one or both of them left the room abruptly. He nudged Kindaichi as they quickly climbed the stairs and burst into the guest quarters. Most of the guild were awake, those who weren’t startled awake as Yaku made no attempt to stay quiet.

“Slow down, what are you talking about?” Daichi told him. “Starting a war for whose satisfaction?”

Yaku took a moment to calm himself so he could sound like he wasn’t crazy.

“I overheard Tsukishima and Yamaguchi having an argument. The basics of it are that Tsukishima seems to think he’s the unofficial adviser Tobio needs and that sparking a war between him and Tooru is the best thing for everyone. Yamaguchi disagrees and thinks Tsukishima is insane — which I agree with quite frankly — and that he’s not just gonna stand by and let this happen.”

There was a pause as everyone let the news sink in. Suga swallowed, he remembered Yamaguchi’s warning but thought that it was the will of the house for Tobio to declare war. He hadn’t anticipated that Yamaguchi was really against the idea or that he actually distrusted Tsukishima that much.

“So,” Kuroo broke the silence “we have a king who’s easily swayed, a steward who wants to keep him from doing something stupid, a…spy who seems to get a kick out of turning the kingdoms against each other…and a king’s guard who’s sworn his life to protect the king no matter who challenges him.”

“And an ice mage.” Bokuto added, getting confused glances from the others. “I…I’ll explain later.”

“No, you’ll explain now.” Daichi gave him a pointed look.

Bokuto sighed slightly. “Hinata and I found the mage’s quarters by accident.” He glanced at Lev, the cat rolled onto his back with a purr, almost like he was pleased with himself over it. “There’s an ice mage here, the last surviving one of the court. He’s quite confident in himself and uh, he told us that the Serpents have tried to forge a bond with Tobio.”

“They what?” Kuroo’s previously calm demeanour vanished. “How? What happened?”

Bokuto remained calm. “That’s not important right now. They tried, Inuoka and Kyoutani refused to even let Tobio hear them out, they left.”

“Kyoutani was the one who had to explain who the Serpents were at dinner. It’s likely that Tobio didn’t even know they tried to befriend him.” Kiyoko carefully put. “If they know more about the Serpents origin than we do, they might have been wise to their intentions.”

Daichi let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead. “So Tsukishima has dismissed us as pawns. He seems to think we’re not going to act on what we’ve heard.”

Suga shook his head. “Maybe he wants us to. If we point out to Tooru that Tobio’s thinking of declaring war, he might back that up in the court and then all hell will break loose.” He glanced around the room at the guild, no-one wanted to say what they were all thinking. “We’re caught between a rock and hard place; we don’t mention it, we stand to risk Tsukishima successfully talking Tobio into it, we do mention it, Tooru might preemptively strike and Tobio will retaliate in spite.”

“Either way, a war is going to be an ever-present threat.” Kiyoko summarised. “What do we do?”

An uncomfortable silence fell. Daichi worried his bottom lip between his teeth as he poked the brazier, his thoughts turning over in his head. He almost didn’t notice someone rising from their seat.

“We don’t do anything.” Akaashi’s stoic expression didn’t give much away as he looked around the room. “We act like we don’t know anything about Tsukishima’s intentions. Instead, we gather as much information about how House Kageyama functions, we focus on reporting back to Tooru the bare minimum that was asked of us. We let Tsukishima think he’s got the high ground but we’re going to do what we do best and operate in the shadows.”

“And what if Tooru—” Kuroo starts before Akaashi shakes his head.

“We are simply going to fulfil our end of the bargain and get Kunimi his pardon. We pass our information along to Misaki and then we leave.”

“Leave.” Kiyoko repeated. “You want us to just leave and not say anything to Tooru about this?”

“He’ll find out soon enough.” Akaashi shrugged. “He doesn’t have to take our word for it. He doesn’t have to believe a bunch of assassins and thieves. The words of the task were simple - ‘if we find anything other than rubble, we tell him and he’ll deal with it.”

“I disagree.” Kiyoko rose to meet Akaashi’s eye level. “I’m not going to lie to my king.”

“We won’t lie. We just won’t tell him everything.”

“And that’s what’s gotten the kingdoms into this mess. House Oikawa lied to the masses once before, Tooru wants to put it right otherwise we wouldn't be here. So I’m prepared to help him do that by telling him what I know.”

Akaashi opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by another voice.

“Both of you are being ridiculous.” Nishinoya scoffed. “The way I see it, why don’t we just tell Tobio what we heard, that Tsukishima is being a snake in the grass and trying to manipulate him?”

“Cause Tobio really seems like the sort to believe complete strangers.” Kunimi rolled his eyes.

“He does. He trusted Tsukishima within days of meeting him.” Hinata said. “Inuoka said so.”

Everyone turned to look at Hinata, Bokuto sighed heavily. “Nice one.” He uttered.

“…you two need to tell us exactly what Inuoka told you.” Kuroo said, looking between Bokuto and Hinata.

“Or.” Kenma stepped in before things got too heated. “Hinata takes Moniwa, Nishinoya and myself to meet Inuoka ourselves. I want to talk to him about a few things anyway.”

 


	29. Vortexes and Visions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was meant to come out mid-week but the week's been a blur thanks to food poisoning~ so this weekend we'll have a double-update :3

**XXVIII**

**Vortexes and Visions**

 

Breakfast was a more tense ordeal than usual. The difference in opinion had revealed the cracks in the guild’s trust in one another. There had always been an understanding that everyone was entitled to have their say on where the guild headed and worked, but this was a bigger ordeal than they were used to dealing with. This wasn't just a case of deciding which contract to take or where to ask for information next, this had every opportunity to spiral even further out of control.

They ate in silence, a far cry from their normal meal times. Hinata was eager to get away from it once he had eaten his fill. This was not the guild he knew. He sighed in relief as the trio he was taking to see Inuoka didn’t take long to eat. All of them thankful for an excuse to slip away from the uncomfortable silence. They followed him out of the banquet hall, Lev trotting behind them as they made their way upstairs.

Inuoka was pouring over a text as they entered. His expression fixed in concentration as his fingers traced the words carefully inked on the parchment.

“Uh, hey.” Hinata greeted as Inuoka remained silent even with four strangers in his domain. “Do you mind if we ask you about—”

“I was wondering when you’d come back.” Inuoka didn’t take his eyes off the text in front of him. “You didn’t get all the answers you need.”

Hinata gave him a puzzled look but nodded. “Uh, yeah. Well, it’s more about what you told me and Bokuto last night.”

“The Blue Serpents?” Inuoka looked up with a smile. “Or something else?”

Moniwa cleared his throat, producing his leather-bound journal and gesturing to a part of the table not covered in parchment. “May I?”

Inuoka nodded, rolling up the text he had been reading and slotting the roll of parchment into a space on the bookcase. He straightened his posture as he paced the room, toying with the buttons on his well-fitting black tunic. The flickering candlelight caught the tiny shards woven into the fabric making him look like he was shimmering. He flexed his fingers as he regarded them with a small smile, tiny whirls of powdered snow weaving in and out of his grasp.

“A scholar, well aren’t you all full of surprises.” He remarked as Moniwa opened his journal, the pages full of inked words being flipped through until a blank piece of parchment was found.

“What can we say,” Nishinoya raised an eyebrow “we like surprising those who underestimate us.”

Inuoka laughed. “I like you guys.” He paused in his pacing, gaze moving over the four of them. “So, you wanna know about the time the Serpents tried to befriend us?”

Nishinoya nodded, prompting Inuoka to chuckle.

“I’ll show you instead.” Inuoka picked up a piece of charcoal and a roll of blank parchment. Nishinoya and Kenma exchanged glances as they watched Inuoka unroll the parchment and begin drawing a circle, within the circle he started drawing straight and curved lines to form an eight-pointed star. The square in the middle remained blank until he drew two small semi-circles with the curved lines facing one another and then a line running through the middle of them. He put the finishing touches to the circle and dropped the coal.

“Okay, you’re about to hear the exchange word for word.” He declared with a smug smile. “Don’t be too startled.”

He clapped his hands together before mumbling a short incantation. The candles on his table flickered as he swept his palm over the circle and clicked his fingers. A bright light burst into existence, when the blinding subsided they could see three balls of ice suspended in the air, powdered snow floated around them in a slow swirling vortex.

“ _Who are you?_ ” A voice not unlike Kyoutani’s came from nowhere as Inuoka closed his eyes in concentration.

“ _An interested party_.” An unfamiliar voice replied.

“ _Not good enough. Try again_.” Kyoutani’s voice came again.

“ _I’m here to offer Tobio an ally. It sounds like he needs them given what’s just happened._ ”

“ _You’re not getting anywhere near him until you tell us who you are_.” Inuoka’s voice replied, his lips remaining still.

“ _Fine. I’m a commander within the Blue Serpents. We’re offering your prince an alliance; soldiers, scouts, mages, you name it we’re offering it._ ”

Kyoutani snorted. “ _I don’t think so. I know who you are and what your kind do. Get out of here before I relieve you of your head._ ”

There was a pause before the Serpent agent spoke again. “ _Alright, you had your chance. We’ll remember that you turned us down._ ”

The voices ceased. Inuoka clapped his hands and the ice melted into steam. The swirling vortex going with it.

“And that’s what happened.” He smiled.

Kenma and Nishinoya looked to Hinata. “Did he do that last night?” Nishinoya hissed.

“Yeah.” Hinata grinned. “It’s cool isn’t it!”

Kenma shook his head, meeting Inuoka’s gaze. “What was that?”

Inuoka looked confused. “The ice thing or the voices?”

“Both.”

Moniwa was frantically scribbling notes in his journal as Inuoka continued to look slightly confused. “Oh, well…it’s just something I’ve been able to do for a while. It doesn’t have a name as far as I know so I just refer to it as ‘freezing voices’. If I’ve overheard a conversation, I channel the memory into my ice and can recount it as long as I have a conjuration circle to hand.”

Kenma blinked slowly. “I’ve…never heard of such a thing.”

“Well, I’ve been trained since my early childhood to be a court mage of House Kageyama. Had the best scholars in the kingdom to teach me and the centuries of tomes to read…” Inuoka said. “Although most of what I can do I can only do with the help of drawing circles.”

Nishinoya started taking an avid interest in the pieces of parchment strewn around the desk, various rune-like circles were noted down with pages of text explaining each sigil and colour variation.

“I meant it when I said I’m just an ice mage.” Inuoka remarked, nodding to the notes in Nishinoya’s hand. “I don’t have any empath powers and I can’t summon flames or lightning.”

“Still, creating runes is impressive.” Nishinoya held up a page with a sketch of a rune that looked eerily like the one they had encountered. “What’s this?”

Everyone looked between the rune and Inuoka.

“Right, that’s something a little more…” Inuoka started as Nishinoya gave the sketch to Kenma and paced towards Inuoka.

Nishinoya shook his head as he got up in Inuoka's personal space, making the other take half a step back. “Start talking, cause that looks a lot like the rune we encountered on our way here and I’m gonna need some convincing to not hold you accountable for one of our friends nearly becoming unhinged.”

“Unhinged?” Hinata asked but his question was ignored as Inuoka put his hands out in mild defence.

“Look, Tobio demanded I make them.” He firmly replied. “I crafted them to warn us if someone crossed into our kingdom. I didn’t know they had _that_ kind of side-effect.”

Hinata looked over Kenma’s shoulder at the written notes accompanying the rune design, the complex mixture of herbs and charged energy that went into the paste that would be used to activate a simple carving gave in indication about side-effects. Kenma furrowed his eyebrows as he read faster and turned the page over.

“You say there are no side-effects, well I beg to differ. The make-up of herbs here would put any empath mage into a state of panic, elementals not so much. And there’s also the fact that Akaashi stared at it all night, though how he’d be able to see it from fields away is beyond me.”

“That...would be because one of those plants has been known to give off signal lights to skilled empath mages.” Inuoka explained with slight hesitation as Nishinoya hadn't moved an inch. “Though I didn’t know it would be that potent.”

“And you just threw it in there without much thought?” Nishinoya challenged. “Why?”

Inuoka sighed heavily. “Tobio wanted me to put the wards in place as soon as we returned to the castle. As in _immediately_. But the thing is I had never made a rune like that before and I’ve only got so many books because the library got burnt down. So I just threw what I knew had to go in there but I had little idea how much of certain things had to go in there.”

“…so you just did it anyway?” Hinata asked. “Why didn’t you tell him you needed more time?”

“You try telling a scorned king that you can’t put a warning system in place because you haven’t got the right book. A warning system that his grandfather didn’t have which ultimately led to his death.” Inuoka laughed weakly. “I did what I could…and I’m sorry it had bad effects for your friend.”

Nishinoya let out a tired sigh, sesing there was no point getting mad at a mage who had only been following orders. “Okay, so you created these runes to warn Tobio if someone entered the land. Does that mean you knew we were coming?”

Inuoka nodded. Not volunteering any other information.

“Does the fact Akaashi stared at the light all night until it disappeared in the morning mean anything for him in the long run?”

Inuoka thought for a moment before he shook his head. “You know when you stare at the sun for too long and your eyes hurt? That’s basically what happened to him. Add to the fact he doesn’t _know_ what he was staring at, I can imagine that would nearly unhinge him if he’s already stressed.”

“What does unhinging mean?” Hinata whispered to Kenma.

“It’s when a mage loses control of themselves and their powers. Basically, they go crazy.” Kenma whispered back.

“If you want, I can go and see him to make sure he’s not been affected any other way.” Inuoka offered. “I can explain it to him and the rest of your guild if you wish.”

Nishinoya nodded. “Not quite yet though, they’re--" he paused for a moment, figuring out how to word his next thought "in the middle of discussing important things.”

Inuoka nodded back. “Okay,” he smiled. The tension in the air began to lift as the accusatory nature of the conversation faded. “So do you guys wanna see any other cool magic I can do? It’s been so long since I had other mages to talk to that I’m kinda all giddy inside.”

“Sure, I’m down to learn some things.” Nishinoya flexed his fingers, letting off sparks.

Hinata grinned, raising his hand in the air. “Me! I wanna see some cool magic. I’m trying to learn how to use all three elements.”

Inuoka’s eyes lit up. “I’ll teach you everything I know.”

Kenma smiled as Hinata bounced up and down on the spot in excitement. Moniwa tentatively asked if he could look at Inuoka’s notes some more, to which the answer was yes before the mentoring session got underway.

 

* * *

 

 

After breakfast, the rest of the guild had parted ways, giving each other space to breathe, to think, to process what they had walked into. Yamaguchi allowed them to enter the hot springs again if they wanted and some of the guild took them up on that offer. Suga declined, asking instead if there was somewhere he could train his combat skills. Yamaguchi seemed puzzled but accepted and led him to the armoury. A suspended brazier provided light and illuminated the vast array of swords that were on display, several practice dummies stood waiting to be struck, maces and flails laid out on tables alongside daggers and throwing hammers. The floor sank a little in the middle of the room, creating a circular space to practice duelling in.

Suga let out a sigh as soon as he was alone. He picked up one of the short-swords, testing its weight in his hand before approaching the closest practice dummy to him. He was more of an archer, but his thoughts were turning and tumbling too much for him to focus on firing arrows. Instead, he let the rising frustration coursing through his being boil over in a flurry of swings and lunges.

As the blade bit the straw and became stuck, he wheeled away and picked up another sword, barely missing a beat as he continued his assault on the dummy. He repeated this every time he lost a sword to the dummy or his clumsy grip sent it hurtling across the room.

He eventually ceased, panting as he looked around the room at the swords and daggers that were scattered across the stone floor. He swallowed, sitting back against one of the practice dummies and resting his head against the base. A few moments of silence fell, the clanging of steel slowly ebbing away from his ears as he let his eyes close. The calm that he had been seeking returned for a few moments before the worries from before began resurfacing.

“Ah, there you are.” A soft voice made him open his eyes. Kiyoko closed the door behind her before stepping closer. “I wondered where you went.”

Suga smiled weakly. “I just needed some time to...not think.”

Kiyoko’s gaze flickered around the room at the weapons in disarray. “I can see that.” She kept her friendly expression as she knelt next to him. “Daichi and Kuroo are in deep conversation about what the next move should be. I said what I needed to say before leaving them to it.”

“I bet that’s a fun conversation.” Suga breathed, watching Kiyoko dislodged a dagger that was impaling the dummy close to his head.

“It’s more of the same; what do we do if Tooru says this, what should we say if he asks that…what do we even want to achieve…” She trailed off, setting the dagger aside. “Koushi, what do we want to achieve? I’m firm in…I’m firm in my belief that we should tell Tooru everything. It’s what we were sent to do.”

“But…” Suga offered, sensing it was coming anyway.

“But what if that’s," she hesitated "what if it puts us on a path of war? The very thing we’re trying to avoid?”

Suga reached out and took her hand in his, offering a reassuring squeeze. “Then that’s his choice.”

Kiyoko shook her head. “But Tobio is only acting out of anger over what Tooru’s father did to his family, that shouldn’t warrant a war.”

Suga closed his eyes, letting out another sigh. “We can try to tell Tooru the truth, but whether he’ll believe us is another matter. And there’s still the problem that if Tobio wants a war, there’s nothing stopping him declaring one.”

“Then we need to make them both see that the actions of the past shouldn’t define their future. Neither of them were responsible for what happened then, but both of them are responsible now and have the chance to change things for the better.” Kiyoko squeezed Suga’s hand. “It’s like Kuroo’s trying to change things now after the actions of his past, he doesn’t seek vengeance, he seeks to right his wrongs. Sure that _might_ include killing the Blue Serpents but he just wants it all to stop once and for all. Why can’t we try to get them to see and do the same?”

There was a pause as Suga opened his eyes and met Kiyoko’s gaze. “What’s this, you and Kuroo agreeing on something for once?”

She smiled and giggled quietly. “I guess, I’d like to point out we weren’t _always_ knocking heads. It’s only since this whole mess spilt over that he’s become more highly strung.”

Suga nodded. “He’s worried about Akaashi, he’s worried about how far the Serpents will go to find him. Who knows what’ll happen if we do end up in a war.”

There was a pause as the word hung in the air. War. Something that seemed so distant to them until now. They kept themselves out of politics, out of the everyday struggles of the kingdom. Any and all conflicts that had called for military support had flown over their heads.

But now here they were in the middle of it. The threat of bloodshed on a large scale was dawning on many of them for the first time and it was not a pleasant feeling.

“If it happens, will you go to fight?” Kiyoko asked.

It wasn’t a question Suga could answer bluntly. He had never been a loyalist in regards to the crown, but he was protective of his village and his family both blood and guild.

“I don’t know.” He murmured. “You?”

She held his gaze, eyes unwavering behind her eyeglasses. “I would.” She replied. “I have no family to protect beyond this guild, and there are few in my position in terms of skill in battle and able to make the sacrifice one might in such a battle. In short, there’s nothing that would make me reconsider.”

“A valiant ideal.” Suga smiled. “I think you’d make a good battle maiden in any army.”

“Just 'cause you’ve seen what I can do with my blade.” She remarked.

“And I fear you every day because of it.” Suga joked, wincing as she lightly punched him in the arm.

“Speaking of which,” she squeezed his hand and coaxed him to stand up with her “how about you test your sword arm against a live target rather than a practice one?”

He laughed. “Oh? But your blade is upstairs, is it not?”

Kiyoko snorted, picking up one of the long-swords that had been left on its rack. “I think this will do just fine.”

It was clear to Suga that he wasn’t getting out of the impromptu duelling session.

“Okay,” he found himself a sword of equal measure and gave it an experimental swing “you’re on. Winner gets to gloat about it to the others later.”

Kiyoko laughed. “And here I thought you were going to be boring.”

Suga made the first lunge, his blade being deflected immediately. “Please, I might be the guild-mother, but living with the likes of Bokuto and Noya has rubbed off on me.”

Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. “It seems like I have much to learn about you.” She moved quickly, unleashing a flurry of swings, some missing and others hitting the blade he wielded. “But less talking, more duelling.”

It was rare that Suga took up a sword or even a dagger, he much preferred his bow and arrow. However, on more than one occasion had he and Daichi sparred and duelled to keep each other on their toes. His ability with the sword didn’t hold a candle to Kiyoko though as she quickly disarmed him.

“Alright.” He held up his hands in surrender as her blade touched his chin. “You see this is why I stick with my bow.”

“Pft.” She shook her head as she lowered the sword. “You’re just not used to it. Give you a few weeks and you’d be able to hold your own.”

“I’ll pass,” He smiled “I’ll leave disembowelling people to you and the others. I’ll stick to hunting game and the occasional scout.”

Kiyoko laughed, her laughter bouncing off the walls of the armoury. Suga couldn’t help but laugh too.

She let out a heavy sigh through the giggles. “We should…we should find the others. As in Hinata, who knows how long they’ve been bothering that mage.”

“Yeah, they’ve either gotten hopelessly off-topic or they’re getting a history of the House told to them by him.”

“I’m not sure which I’d prefer.”

“Me neither, but let’s go and find them before something catches fire or explodes.”

 

* * *

 

 

Hinata watched as the flames flickered in front of his face. The intense heat in his fingers made it hard to move them but he gritted his teeth and forced his palm to open.

“Keep going.” Inuoka urged, glancing down at the circle, the sigils he had drawn glowed brighter than he’d ever seen them glow.

The flames stretched out, intertwining and growing as they did. He inhaled deeply, bringing up his other hand and stretching his fingers out. Crackling into life, the blue sparks began fusing with the flames running alongside them as they twisted and turned.

Eyes widened as the sigils brightened, the light encircled Hinata as his flames wrapped around him. Inuoka grinned as Hinata let out a low breath, the flames swirled like a vortex around him.

“How does it feel?” Kenma asked, casting a wary glance to Nishinoya.

“Good.” Hinata replied, a smile on his face as he tilted his head back. “It’s like I’m finally using my powers more to their full potential.”

Nishinoya nodded, snapping his fingers and watching his sparks spread out into the air. “It feels like it, the air feels charged.”

“What exactly is he doing though?” Moniwa asked.

Inuoka chuckled. “He’s simply learning how to fuse the elements together in a vortex. It’s a delicate balancing act, too much fire will melt the ice, too much ice will shatter when the lightning tries to fuse with the fire…it takes skill to fuse them all.”

“But it’s taken him less than two hours to learn how to do it with two of the three.” Nishinoya pointed out.

Inuoka rubbed the back of his neck and gave a sheepish smile. “I didn’t quite imagine just how easily he’d take to it.”

Kenma paced around the circle that Hinata stood within, the sigils and runes that made up the barrier keeping the elements from spreading outward were unfamiliar to him.

“Exactly how much do you know about runes then Inuoka?” He asked. “You said you hadn’t made them before Tobio asked you to.”

“Well standard practice for mages of the court is to memorise the tomes,” Inuoka pulled a leather-bound book from his small bookshelf. “Like this one.” He offered it to Kenma. “They’re not ones typically seen outside our kingdom though so you probably won’t recognise them.”

Within flicking a few of the first pages, Kenma could sense this was magic beyond his knowledge. Runes and enchantments to go with them that he hadn’t heard of existing were detailed, diagrams of dragons and other winged creatures accompanied them.

“…is this strictly magic bound to the courts or can other mages learn them?”

Inuoka laughed. “Of course you can learn them. We just kept the tomes safe here…well, as safe as they were when…” he trailed off. “I saved a few of the important ones. The main library got destroyed so most of the tomes were lost.”

“Where was the main library?” Nishinoya asked. “Maybe we can get Moniwa to look at the remains of them.”

Inuoka shook his head. “Tobio wouldn't allow that. Besides, we picked it clean when we returned. The building itself collapsed in a storm in the growing season.”

Moniwa took the book from Kenma and began flicking through it. Nishinoya’s attention turned to Hinata who was still surrounded by his wisps of fire and lightning. He snorted as he saw the look of serenity on the other’s face.

“Don’t fall asleep in there,” He joked “we won’t be able to get you out.”

Hinata didn’t hear him. The heat on his face barely made him twitch as small sparks cracked and hissed around him. His eyes slipped shut as he tilted his head back, the aches in his joints were easing, he felt like he wasn’t even stood but floating instead. Air moved around him like a gentle breeze, swirling with the flames. A bolt of lightning cracked near his ear. He winced but his eyes did not open. In his mind's eye he could see the mountain again with its swirling mists. The gravelly voice came to him in an instant.

“ _Shoyo. You’re still here_.”

He heard the voice but did not reply. He knew his mind was not in Inuoka’s chambers anymore.

“ _You are brave to remain on this course. But are you brave enough to take control?_ ”

The mists swirled faster, the oncoming storm was more obvious to him now.

“ _You’re running out of time. Tobio must be reasoned with. You must make him see sense_.”

A distant commotion made the mountain distort. He opened his eyes. The circle he had been stood in was charred beyond use, the parchment blackened. Inuoka regarded him with caution, hands aglow with bright blue ice. He glanced around, Nishinoya had summoned a flat shield made up of sparks and stepped in front of Moniwa, Kenma’s hands were still holding up a ward.

“…what happened?” Hinata asked.

“Your fire went wild.” Nishinoya replied, dismissing his lightning. “The barrier started breaking down when you set the freaking parchment ablaze.”

Inuoka raised an eyebrow as he brushed some of the ashes away. “The circle is actually intact, it’s the parchment that suffered.” He murmured, pointing to the runes that had remained in one piece, the narrow ring of parchment that they had been drawn onto had survived being burnt.

Hinata looked down at his hands, the usual friction burns were there but other than that he was fine. He furrowed his eyebrows as he glanced up at Nishinoya.

“I…I heard the voice again.” He uttered.

Kenma shot Nishinoya glance. “Voice?”

Nishinoya let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah,” he looked around the group before meeting Kenma’s gaze “Shoyo had a weird dream - that sounded more like a vision - a few nights ago. He heard a voice saying the brotherhood have ‘stepped into circumstances beyond our understanding’.”

Kenma nodded slowly, mulling over the information. “What did it say this time?”

Hinata swallowed, his fingers were trembling as he tried to remember. Sparks fizzled between his hands as his breathing quickened. Kenma closed the gap between them and took his hands, the faint white glow of his barrier encircling their hands.

“What did it say Shoyo?” He repeated softly, meeting Hinata’s gaze. Bright eyes shifted quickly, darting back and forth as if he was seeing something.

Inuoka cleared his throat. “…forgive me for intruding, but maybe you need your empath mage to read his thoughts?”

“Why’d you say that?” Moniwa asked as Kenma ignored Inuoka.

“Because some visions portray a reality that some of us can’t repeat out loud.” Inuoka stated coldly. “It might not be as bad as it sounds, but if he’s not used to deciphering them, he might need someone else to read it for him.”

Nishinoya seemed reluctant to agree but he nodded, moving to open the door when it opened from the other side. Suga and Kiyoko took in the scene of the burnt parchment, a concerned looking Moniwa, Kenma physically restraining Hinata’s hands and Nishinoya’s slightly spooked expression.

“…I told you something would catch fire.” Suga remarked, neither smiling or frowing.

“Now’s not the time.” Nishinoya quipped. “We need Akaashi to read Hinata’s thoughts.”

“Why?” Kiyoko asked, not entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“Because he’s seeing weird visions of mountains and hearing ghostly voices talking about ‘circumstances’.” Nishinoya threw his hands in the air. “I can’t explain that shit to him and I’m meant to be his mentor!”

Suga took a long look at Nishinoya’s wide tearful eyes. “Okay. He’s with Kuroo and Daichi in the hot springs. We’ll take Hinata to the guest quarters.”

“Got it.” Nishinoya pushed past them both to get out the door.

Once his breathing had calmed down, Hinata was guided out of the room by the hand by Kenma with Suga following them. Moniwa paused for a moment, looking over the tome as Kiyoko stepped up and glanced over his shoulder at the ageing pages. From looking at the various circles and sigils, she got an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.

“Inuoka, wasn’t it?” She spoke softly, meeting his gaze.

“Yes, and you are?”

She stood straighter, missing her blade at that moment as she bowed respectfully. “Kiyoko Shimizu, former recruit for the royal guard of House Oikawa.” She smirked slightly as the realisation dawned on the mage’s face. “Fear not, I’m not going to threaten you on behalf of Tooru.”

“…good.” Inuoka nodded.

“However on behalf of my Brotherhood,” She held his gaze with a frosty expression “if you know anything about what’s causing these ‘visions’ I suggest you come clean.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, this is the first I’ve heard of visions.” Inuoka snorted, giving her a dismissive wave.

Moniwa swallowed as he reread the page Kiyoko had set her eyes on. He was thankful she wasn’t armed currently.

Kiyoko pointed to the book. “That tome says otherwise.”

“That tome is _centuries_ old.” Inuoka replied. “It says a lot of things that I’ve proved to be inaccurate.”

Moniwa expected her to march over and grab him by the tunic. Instead, she merely smiled.

“That’s fine. So I won’t need to repay you a visit with my blade then. Thank you for your time.” She bowed again before turning on her heel and striding out of the room.

There was a pause before Moniwa let out a nervous laugh. “She’s…uh got a way with words.”

Inuoka snorted. “Yeah, I can tell.”


	30. A New Order

**XXIX**

**A New Order**

 

Akaashi inhaled deeply. There was a chill in the air as he sat cross-legged on the floor of the guest quarters. He had asked for the majority of the guild to not be present, it was just him, Hinata and Kenma. He asked for Kenma specifically because he’d need someone able to subdue either of them if something went awry. Given his current state, Akaashi couldn’t be sure how he’d react to whatever Hinata had seen.

“Ready?” He asked Hinata.

The other fidgeted in his seat, his hands weren’t sparking anymore which was a good thing. Even so, he was far from at ease.

“Shoyo, please try to relax.” Kenma smiled, it was forced, Akaashi could tell. Kenma wasn’t exactly at ease himself and given what had just happened in Inuoka’s chambers, Akaashi couldn’t fault him.

Hinata nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. He met Akaashi’s gaze.

It had been some time since Akaashi read another mage’s mind to find out information. Talking in thoughts was easy enough, but diving into the depths of someone’s subconscious was something else entirely.

“Hold still.” He murmured, reaching out a hand and pressing his palm to Hinata’s forehead.

The images flashed in his mind in rapid succession.

_The mountain. The swirling mists. A cold breeze but not too cold._

Akaashi let out a sigh, urging his senses to dig deeper. His hand felt warm against Hinata’s head, his fingers twitched as his powers surged.

“ _Shoyo Hinata_ ”

_The voice was calling for him by name. The Brotherhood is on a path beyond our understanding. Something big is coming. Something no-one has been able to stop. Not yet anyway._

“Why Hinata…” Akaashi whispered. “Why him specifically.”

_The swirling mists darken like storm clouds. A storm. An actual storm or metaphorical? Both? Is the storm Tooru or someone else? The voice calls more. Is he brave enough? Brave enough for what? Time is running out? Why is Tobio the focus? So many questions but no answers._

Akaashi pulled his hand back. Hinata glanced around the room in a daze before shaking his head.

“Well?” Kenma asked quietly, reaching out and taking Hinata’s hand in comfort. “What did he see Akaashi?”

Akaashi himself wasn’t sure. What he did know was that wasn’t an ordinary dream. There was something weird going on and Tobio was at the centre of it. The silence in the room was only punctuated by the wind outside the castle.

“He saw a mountain. It’s what he heard that I’m more curious about.” Akaashi replied eventually. “Apparently, Hinata has to make Tobio see sense.”

“See…sense,” Kenma repeated, looking to Hinata. “Any idea what that’s talking about?”

Hinata shook his head. Akaashi let out an impatient sigh.

“I’m done running around in circles.” He grunted, rising from his seat. “I’m going to talk to Tobio and get some straightforward answers.”

He left before Kenma could object. Daichi and Suga were waiting in the hallway, they turned expectantly toward him but he ignored their questioning gazes as he made for the stairs. He passed various members of the guild on his way across the throne room, he ignored the curious glances and attempts to ask what was wrong. He had one thing in mind and nothing was going to stand in his way.

As he ascended the stairs in the east wing of the castle, he felt a presence. Stepping out into the hallway he met Tsukishima’s gaze.

“Ah, Akaashi.” He smiled, Akaashi swallowed, staring him down.

“What do you want?” Akaashi kept the fury out of his voice, he knew Tsukishima can and would invade his head if given a chance.

“I should be asking you that.” Tsukishima shrugged, taking a step forward. “I saw you striding through the throne room ignoring everyone. Where could you be going that’s so important?”

“Nowhere that concerns you.” He figured drawing his blade on Tsukishima would technically count as treason, they didn’t need that headache.

“Ah, well if it concerns Tobio, then it _does_ concern me.”

An uncomfortable pain sparked in Akaashi’s head. He could see the ghostly outlines of Tsukishima’s tattoos through his tunic, the blue hue that swirled and enchanted his gaze.

“Talk.” Tsukishima stated.

“Fuck off.” Akaashi grunted, breaking eye contact.

The pain didn’t subside. He grimaced as he sunk down onto one knee, his fingers twitched to reach for his dagger. Tsukishima chuckled.

“You should know, my powers are much more advanced than yours. Don’t even think about reaching for that blade.”

“Knock it off!” A loud voice commanded.

Akaashi felt himself be released from Tsukishima’s spell. Light but forceful footsteps echoed around him as his head reeled from the pressure being released. He glanced up and saw the striking blond hair of a certain dragon tamer.

“Tsk, Kei you’re really testing my patience.” Kyoutani growled.

“Do I care? No, not really.” Tsukishima shrugged.

“You’re becoming too troublesome.” Kyoutani stepped in front of Akaashi. “I should let my dragon eat you.”

“I can’t imagine I taste very nice.”

“I’ll let her decide that.”

The sound of steel scraping against leather was sharp in Akaashi’s ears. He watched as Kyoutani pointed his sword at Tsukishima.

“Tobio’s letting them stay as our guests. And in case you need reminding because your head is so full of crap, guests are treated with _respect_. Which doesn’t mean you can fuck with them any more than you already have.” He stated. “And if I have to remind you of that again, then I’ll be telling Tobio just how irritating you’re becoming and he can cast you back out just as easily as he let you in.”

There was a pause. Tsukishima snorted, his smirk still evident as he nodded in parting and slunk into a nearby room. As the door closed firmly, Kyoutani sheathed his sword and extended a hand to help Akaashi off the floor.

“He’s fucked up.” Kyoutani uttered. “I don’t even know whose side he’s on anymore.”

Akaashi hummed in reply, taking Kyoutani’s hand. He could see straight now and the pain was gone without a trace. “Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it. What were you even doing here?” Kyoutani glanced down the hallway to the closed door. “Were you gonna talk to Tobio?”

“Yeah, I need to clarify something.” Akaashi regarded Kyoutani with a guarded gaze. “I heard he wants to start a war with Tooru.”

Kyoutani groaned. “Yeah that fucking—look,” he held up a hand as he continued “Tobio’s not right. Ever since we got back here he’s been…off. He’s not the Tobio I met a year ago.”

“…how so?”

Kyoutani glanced around, almost like he was checking the king himself wasn’t about to make an appearance.

“He saw the remains of his parents, just bones mainly, but he grew more distant the longer we stayed here.” His voice dropped to a murmur. “He’s been vocal about shunning the past, the ways of his forefathers, Tsukishima eggs him on. Yamaguchi argues that it’s not ‘the Houses’ way’ but…Tobio doesn’t seem to care about how his forefathers acted anymore.”

Akaashi nodded, urging him to continue.

“He sent Tsukishima to scout out what House Oikawa was doing, military tactics and the like. We heard nothing for months and then he shows up with your guild in tow.”

“…you think Tsukishima is pushing Tobio to make war?” Akaashi summarised, if that was the case then that meant the guild was one of the last lines of defences. But it didn’t answer the questions surrounding Hinata.

“I don’t know what he’s doing.” Kyoutani hissed. “Look, all I’m saying is Tobio isn’t listening to reason from any of his advisers. He doesn’t seem to want to listen to your leaders either.”

A stray thought occurred to Akaashi.

“Maybe that’s the problem.” He murmured.

Kyoutani gave him a puzzled look.

“Maybe it’s that they’re trying to tell him what to do…”

“As opposed to what?” Kyoutani asked.

Akaashi nodded, things were clicking in his mind. “That’s what it meant.”

Kyoutani shook his head. “I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”

“No, but you just gave me the information I needed to start fixing this.” Akaashi smiled. “I’ll keep you informed.”

Before Kyoutani could ask any further questions, Akaashi had taken off down the stairs.

He summoned the guild to their quarters before explaining the entire ordeal of the day to them, quickly followed by his plan. He did not get the response he had hoped for.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” Tanaka remarked, getting a putout look from Akaashi. “You want us to send Hinata to tell Tobio he’s crazy? Are you _crazy_?”

“There’s logic to my suggestion.” Akaashi looked to Daichi. “Everyone who’s tried to talk him out of it so far has been talking down to him or flat out telling him he can’t do it.”

“And you think sending Hinata is different how?” Kiyoko carefully asked.

“He’s not a threat. Tobio won’t see him as someone challenging his ruling.” Akaashi stated. “It’s that simple.”

Hinata wasn’t sure what he was being volunteered for, he was falling asleep after exhausting his body so much in one day. Kenma’s lap was proving to be the best pillow and the alchemist was willing to run his fingers through Hinata’s hair in a soothing manner.

“He’s not a threat…” Yaku repeated. “Akaashi, what do you think Tobio’s gonna think when we send Hinata in? He’s not gonna suddenly listen and hang onto his every word.”

“No, but he has an advantage.” Akaashi countered. “When Tsukishima was proving his power to you in the forest, the rest of us mages all reacted involuntarily. All of us except Hinata. He was unaffected.”

Nishinoya nodded. “Yeah, he actually got up and held a blade to Tsukishima’s neck. But that doesn’t mean he’s gonna be able to fend off a full attack.”

“Tsukishima wouldn’t really attack him in front of Tobio surely?” Bokuto scoffed. “Like, the guy’s a twisted fuck, but I think he needs Tobio to be on his side…for whatever reason.”

Daichi rubbed his forehead, he looked to Kuroo who wasn’t looking entirely convinced and then to Suga who looked more tired than anything else.

“At this point, what other plan do we have?” Akaashi asked, glancing around the guild. “The only other thing we can do is appeal for Tooru to not take the bait.”

“We can’t guarantee that’ll be successful.” Kunimi replied. “Even if he doesn’t, Tobio could just…declare it anyway.”

“He has no army to speak of.” Kuroo pointed out. “Tooru could wipe him out with one unit.”

“We haven’t seen an army. That doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist.” Tanaka warned. “We don’t know what else this kingdom is hiding besides that dragon. Fuck, this place we’re sitting in shouldn’t exist by all accounts!”

Nishinoya nodded. “I did point this out when we arrived.”

There was a collective sigh. The silence that fell was as stifling as it always was when the guild was at odds. Their thoughts were disturbed by a knock at the door. Kyoutani let out a heavy sigh as he met Akaashi’s gaze.

“I dunno what I made you realise, but whatever plan you’re coming up with might have to be sped up.” He told them all. “Tobio’s making some of you deliver a message to Tooru.”

“Well fuck.” Kunimi cussed, saying what everyone else was thinking.

They assembled in the throne room per Tobio’s request. The fact that Kyoutani had said ‘some’ held promise that whoever stayed could try to ease tensions before Tooru receives the message. Hinata was practically falling asleep where he stood, the exhaustion creeping into his body more and more.

As the king sat down on his throne, he regarded them with a small smile. Asahi and Yamaguchi flanked the throne, neither of them were smiling. Kyoutani folded his arms across his chest, a distant scratching of claws on wood suggested his dragon was peering down from the rafters above. Even Inuoka was taking interest from the inner window of his chamber that opened out into the throne room above them.

“So after thinking long and hard about the situation presented to me,” Tobio spoke confidently “I’m sending a message with you to House Oikawa. However not all of you are permitted to leave, after all, it would be too easy for you to ignore my wishes if you have nothing to gain from it.”

“What does the message say?” Daichi asked. “If we’re acting on your behalf I demand we know what you’re making us deliver.”

Tobio snorted. “Demand. Who are you to demand things of me?” He smirked. “You have no power here in my kingdom, you’re just the leader for a band of lunatics.”

Yamaguchi sighed. “That’s a little unfair Tobio.”

“Fine.” Tobio waved in dismissal. “It’s not an outright declaration of war, don’t worry.” He snapped his fingers and Tsukishima emerged from the banquet hall with a roll of parchment in hand. “It’s simply a letter for Tooru to read and understand.”

Daichi wasn’t convinced but he didn’t push his luck. Tsukishima didn’t offer the scroll to anyone, he simply held it was he smiled smugly.

“In any case,” Tobio continued “I’m sending Tsukishima with you. He’s gained favour with Tooru and I need someone I can trust over there.”

Kiyoko cleared her throat. “If I may your majesty,” she smiled as she bowed “who else are you wishing to send?”

Tobio raised an eyebrow. “Well you seem to know how to actually address royalty, you’ll go, as will one of your swordsmen.”

“And I need to go.” Kunimi abruptly stated. “Cause the entire reason we’re in your damn kingdom in the first place is because I need a pardon.”

There was a pause. “Quite.” Tobio nodded. “So there you have it. The four of you will go, the rest will stay. Oh, and one more thing,” Tobio stood up from his throne. “If you’re taking your horses, you’re dressing them with my House colours. This isn’t going to be some under the table contract. I want the realm to know House Oikawa lied.”

“Of course.” Kiyoko forced a smile. “That’s sure to stir up the masses.”

Tobio smiled back. “I’m glad I’ve finally found someone who seems to understand my line of thinking.”

Yamaguchi sighed, flashing Asahi a glance. Tobio dismissed the guild stating that the party should leave at dawn’s light. He stepped away from his throne and swiftly left the room, Tsukishima quickly following. The rest of his staff let out a collective sigh.

“What was that about?” Tanaka asked Kiyoko. “Why’d you appease him so much?”

Kiyoko shook her head. “Akaashi is right.” She glanced to the now empty throne. “Challenging his ruling isn’t going to get us anywhere. We need to play to his whims for now, even if they seem suicidal.”

Daichi let out a heavy sigh. “So who do you want with you when you go?” He asked Kiyoko.

She looked around the guild, each of the swordsmen were ready to accompany her and Kunimi at a moment’s notice. She didn’t want to take just anyone, she wanted to leave the guild with a fighting chance if anything went wrong.

“Tanaka.” She stated, meeting his gaze. “You don’t have any bounties, correct?”

Tanaka nodded. “Clean as clean can be in our line of work.” He grinned.

“Then that’s settled. Tanaka will join us.” Kiyoko nodded to Kunimi. “We’re gonna get this sorted Akira.”

“Good. Then I can fucking sleep without this hanging over me.”

Kiyoko nodded again, turning and looking to Yamaguchi who was dwelling near the throne as if he was waiting for the question headed his way. “Hey, what did he mean by wearing the House colours? Are there some banners around or something?”

There was a nod in reply. “I can show you—”

Kindaichi stepped forward. “I can sort the horses,” he smiled at Kiyoko “you should figure out how to explain any of this to Tooru.”

She returned the smile and nodded. “Thank you Yuutarou.”

The guild was informed by Kyoutani that dinner would be served at dusk and Asahi would come to collect them. Given that there was still daylight left, they were allowed to do as they pleased. Kenma declared he was going to take Hinata to the springs to try and relax a little after everything that had happened, the rest of the guild left them to it.

The warm water of the springs was welcome to his aching joints. Hinata tilted his head back and looked up at the ceiling of the cavern. Kenma let out a sigh as the running water filled the silence. Neither of them wanted to speak, things weighed heavily on their minds. They ached to be back in the familiar surroundings of the library, with the smell of books and the sound of potions bubbling.

“…Kenma.” Hinata whispered.

“Yeah? Kenma whispered back.

“…what’s happening to me?” Hinata’s voice broke as he shut his eyes. “What’s happening?”

Kenma swallowed, blinking slowly as he heard the ragged breath bounce off the walls of the cavern. “I don’t know.”

Hinata swallowed, sitting forward and bringing his hands out of the water to rub his face. “I don’t want all these visions Kenma. I don’t want to hear the voice!” His voice cracked, spluttering as a sob escaped.

“I…” Kenma gave up trying to verbalise his thoughts. He pulled Hinata into a hug, resting his chin on the top of Hinata’s head as he wrapped his arms around Hinata’s shoulders, letting the other bury his face in the crook of his neck. The sobs came harder, echoing back to them from beyond the wooden fencing like ghoulish wails.

“I can’t do this Kenma.” He sniffed. “I can’t be the one to talk to Tobio.”

Kenma wanted to tell him he didn’t have to. But Akaashi seemed set on the idea, and there was little evidence to suggest that an alternative solution would present itself.

“…why do you say that?”

Hinata shook his head. “I’m just a mage. I can’t tell a king he’s wrong.” He babbled. “I’m a nobody to him. I’m just me.”

Kenma let out a small sigh. “Which is what Akaashi means when he says you’re the best option.” Kenma pushed Hinata up to look him in the eye. Bright eyes were glassy with tears as he sniffed loudly. “You’re Shoyo Hinata, a mage who’s shown to be one of the fastest learners anyone in the guild has known, someone who's not been marred by tragedy in his life like some of us, someone who hasn’t seen what the cruellest in this world can do.”

“And what does that all mean to Tobio?” Hinata replied, eyes red as the tears continued to fall. “He doesn’t know any of that!”

“But he will. Because you don’t carry yourself like Kuroo does, you don’t wake every night plagued by nightmares like Akaashi, you don’t have your past actions coming back to haunt you like Kunimi. You didn’t see your village slaughtered. You haven’t lost anyone.” Kenma squeezed Hinata’s shoulders as he paused for a moment. “You aren’t tainted by this world Shoyo and you can walk into that court knowing that you see the world in a positive light. A light that Tobio has blocked out in his mourning.”

Hinata sniffed loudly, shaking his head in dismay as Kenma released his shoulders. “I can’t…the guild are all divided over it…Akaashi is the only one who really thinks I can do it.”

“I believe you can do it.” Kenma said, gaze unwavering. “And I’m going to be with you, you’re not alone in this. You’re a brother to me, just as you are to the rest of the guild. Times like these are what the guild motto refers to; _through the shadows we persevere_. We’ll get through this shadow to the silver lining.”

“Silver lining…” Hinata repeated, moving his hands through the water and creating ripples with his fingers.

“We’ll stop this war Shoyo. Between our actions here and Kiyoko’s in Tanishiti, we’ll stop this war before it begins.”

Hinata swallowed. “You believe that?”

Kenma smiled, glancing around the pool and remembering how crowded it felt when they were here last. “We might all be carrying different wounds from our pasts, but the guild hasn’t failed yet. And we’re not about to let one empath mage bring us down.” He met Hinata’s gaze again. “But we need you to break the spell Tsukishima has over Tobio. It has to be you. I can’t do it, I’m not strong enough. Akaashi tried and suffered for it. Tsukishima has no effect on you. You’re the only one who can do it.”

There was a pause as Hinata nodded. “Okay…okay.” He swallowed. “I guess I…I’ll try.”

“That’s all we can ask of you.” Kenma murmured, taking Hinata’s hands under the water’s surface and squeezing them in reassurance. “I think Akaashi knows deep down he’s asking a lot of you, but it’s only because we have fewer other options.”

Hinata sniffed loudly, forcing a smile. “Daichi would probably say something like ‘ and failure isn’t one of them’.”

Kenma chuckled. “He probably would.”

They remained quiet for a few moments, the words hanging in the air. The sound of running water soothed the thoughts rushing through Hinata’s mind. His shoulders felt lighter as the quiet continued. His body slowly began to feel more at ease the longer he sat in the warm water. His thoughts were racing still, but they seemed quieter now.

When they felt they had been sitting in the springs for long enough, they decided to go and find the others. Hinata had more of a bounce in his step as they walked into the guest quarters. Lev immediately perked up at them returning and trotted over to greet them. There was a quiet conversation happening surrounding what to say to Tooru but both of them were leaving that with those in the guild who were better with words. Instead, they sat with Nishinoya and Bokuto, with Lev curled up and purring between them, and let idle chitchat distract them from everything.


	31. Meddling Mages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things just keep getting better and better (:

  
**XXX**

**Meddling Mages**

 

The white stone walls of the palace brightened even the darkest of hallways. Iwaizumi walked with purpose, chainmail rattling, boots clinking against the stone flooring. He nodded to the various servants and guards he passed, barely breaking his stride until he reached the large oak door.

He knocked twice before entering, barely any room in the palace was off limits to him, especially with the nature of this visit.

“Shirabu?” He called as he closed the door behind him. The well-kept mage’s quarters boasted the most elaborate potion brewing set up in the city. Ingredients from around the realm and far beyond were neatly arranged within cupboards and on shelves above the bubbling cauldron. Bookcases were filled to the brim with tomes, ledgers and scrolls, each nearly sorted into categories only the court mage himself understood. Iwaizumi was always satisfied with how clean everything was.

“Yes?” The slightly irritated tone of the mage didn’t mode well. “You sure know how to pick a time.”

Shirabu stepped out from behind a bookshelf, hands full with a stack of older texts. He flicked his hair out from covering his eyes as he set them down on the table as gave Iwaizumi his full attention.

“This is more off the record,” Iwaizumi smiled slightly “a favour if you will.”

Shirabu raised an eyebrow, not particularly looking forward to whatever this favour was. “Go on.”

“Are you busy with any official business?”

Shirabu shook his head. “Not from Tooru if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve got some notes that’ve been passed to me from Lord Makino about some suspect rogue mage activity in the south but nothing else.”

“I’ll deal with Lord Makino.” Iwaizumi told him with a straight face. “This is more important.”

“And what great tell is ‘this’?”

Iwaizumi glanced around the room, making sure there weren’t any servants who could overhear what he was about to ask of the mage.

“Tooru doesn’t believe his father simply died of natural causes.”

Shirabu snorted as he placed his hands on his hips. “Well I could’ve told him that. His father was in good physical health, there was no reason to for him to have died so suddenly.”

Iwaizumi nodded. “Do you think you could find out how he died?”

There was a moment where Shirabu looked confused, almost offended by the question. “Uh, the late king has been dead for half a year? We set his body in the crypt…and we checked before we did that, there was nothing to suggest poison or the like.”

“…have you thought about asking him?”

Shirabu’s eyes widened, he laughed, shaking his head. “Good joke, really, you should tell Tooru that one.”

“I’m serious.” Iwaizumi’s face hadn’t changed.

There was a pause as Shirabu bought his palms together in front of his face in a prayer motion. He seemed to think for a few moments before turning his hands to point towards the other. “Iwaizumi, sir, are you suggesting I break into the royal crypt and perform a taboo ritual - that could get me executed by the way as I’m sure you know - to ask the late king how he died?”

“That’s exactly what I was asking you to do.”

Shirabu clicked his tongue, shaking his head again. “We’re already trying to find out if one king is even alive, and now you want me to willingly go and seek out a dead one…”

“If it’s too much then forget it. It’s not an order, as I said, it was a favour.”

There was a heavy sigh. “I have a better idea,” Shirabu rested his hands on the table and drummed his fingers on the wood “before I go disturbing the dead that is. Get me access to the record keeper’s stash. Let me go through his late highness’ ledgers and letters. They might shed some light on it, or at the very least, give me a sense of what to ask his spirit about.”

“Done.” Iwaizumi nodded, pleased with how easily Shirabu seemed to get with the program. “You’ll have access by dusk.”

“Great. And I’m not stepping foot inside that crypt without a signed decree to be there. Make up something about me doing a cleansing ritual. I’ll need at least three days to get everything ready.”

Iwaizumi nodded again. “You have my thanks.”

Shirabu sighed. “Yeah, you owe me for this. I don’t exactly want to make a habit of performing taboo magic, and I certainly don’t want his highness knowing about it unless _you’re_ going to fess up to suggesting it.”

“Of course. I won’t mention it to him, you have my word.” Iwaizumi placed a closed fist over his heart and bowed. “Good day Shirabu.”

The mage watched as Iwaizumi walked out of the room, closing the door softly. He let out a loud sigh, pacing over to one of the bookshelves and glancing over the array of books. He hadn’t thought much of some of the books left behind by the previous mages, but as he found the tomes that contained the ritualistic knowledge he required, he started wondering if they had been asked for equally ridiculous favours.

 

* * *

 

Buckles were fastened with well-practised motions. All of the horses were calm today, none of them showed any unease even in the unfamiliar environment of the stables of House Kageyama.

Kindaichi personally checked each of them, making sure each saddle was adjusted to its rider. He tried to block out his irritation at letting Tsukishima ride one of their mares. They may be horses, but Kindaichi considered them just a part of their Brotherhood as himself. He adjusted the straps that held the orange and black cloth in place covering each horse’s hindquarters. The mainly black cloth had the bright orange dragon of the house crest stitched into it. It was a loud statement to be wearing riding back into House Oikawa’s territory. And that’s exactly what Tobio wanted. Yamaguchi had said they were the only surviving pieces from the stables that were razed in the invasion so they’d have to do.

Kindaichi and Yamaguchi led the horses out of the stables and around the castle. The clouds above them were dark with the promise of rain, a strong breeze whipped through the courtyard but the brazier in the middle of the pond was still ablaze against the odds.

The doors to the castle opened, Kiyoko was wearing her leather and chainmail armour as she strode out, her blade attached to her hip and a secondary dagger on the other side. The breeze caught her hair as she reached up to tie it back in a secure ponytail. She nodded in greeting to the two of them.

“Looks like the skies are trying to tell us something.” She remarked as she took Raimei’s reins from Yamaguchi.

“Like ‘maybe this is a bad idea?’” Tanaka remarked as he followed her out. His greatsword strapped to his back, chainmail rattling as he took Yuki’s reins and immediately mounted her saddle.

“Try to bit a little positive.” Kiyoko replied, patting Raimei’s neck.

“I can be positive,” Tanaka objected “I’m positive that this is going to go poorly.”

“That’s just our lives in general.” Kunimi’s snarky voice preceded his exit from the castle. He donned the black fitted clothes that he wore for sitting on his sentry post. He adjusted the leather bracers that had throwing blades secured in their layers before patting himself down and doing a mental check for all his weapons.

“Boys please.” Kiyoko sighed as the sentry vaulted onto Amaya’s saddle.

“Where’s Tsukishima?” Yamaguchi asked, still holding Hotaru’s reins as Kiyoko mounted Raimei.

“Talking to Tobio.” Kunimi replied, wheeling Amaya around. “I just want to get going already.”

Kiyoko nodded. “We have our route plotted thanks to Inuoka telling us where he’s placed those warding runes.” She glanced to Tanaka “We can use the hole Nishinoya blew in the border wall as a quicker way back.”

“Yeah. It’s straight down the trading route then.”

“And straight to the heart of House Oikawa’s territory, on horses marked up with the colours of a supposedly dead house.” Kunimi snorted. “Can’t wait to see the looks on people’s faces.”

After waiting for a while longer, Tsukishima appeared wearing the same hooded cloak he had worn the day they met him and a small satchel slung over his shoulders. Yamaguchi gave Hotaru’s reins to him without a word. Kiyoko assumed the role of lead horse, nodding in parting to Kindaichi before spurring Raimei to a trot. Kunimi brought up the rear of the convoy, pausing momentarily to reach down for Kindaichi’s hand, clasping his inner arm in a solid handshake.

“Come back in one piece.” Kindaichi told him. “And don’t let Tsukishima push you around.”

“You help the others get to the bottom of this mess. And look after Hinata. He’s got a lot on his shoulders right now.”

Kindaichi nodded, releasing Kunimi’s arm and patting Amaya’s neck before Kunimi spurred her to catch up with the others. He stood with Yamaguchi and watched them disappear under the archway before retreating into the castle, closing the doors firmly.

“So, now that Tsukishima is gone,” Kindaichi murmured to Yamaguchi “how long do you wanna wait before trying to change Tobio’s mind?”

Yamaguchi glanced at him with a straight face, a calm but pensive expression. “As little as possible.”

With Tsukishima out of the picture, House Kageyama’s staff seemed to relax slightly. Asahi smiled in greeting whenever he passed members of the guild in the hallways, always on his way to help Yamaguchi with the general upkeep of the castle. Daichi and Suga offered themselves to help, their offer declined at first until Yamaguchi got wind of it and eagerly accepted any help he could get.

Yaku and Bokuto took to examining the armoury, mindful that literally anything could happen once Tooru received news and they wanted to be prepared for anything. Kuroo and Akaashi joined them, but it was more so they were actively doing something instead of letting their thoughts of ‘what if’ run wild.

The rest of the mages retreated to Inuoka’s chambers, with Lev keeping them company as always, Moniwa had been busy reading as many of the books as he could get his hands on and Kenma studied every rune and glyph he could decipher without asking Inuoka for help. Nishinoya and Hinata were more interested in practically studying magic, learning from Inuoka how to draw the complex circle he used to form a barrier first and foremost before any elements were conjured.

When Yamaguchi appeared to tell them that the others had left, Inuoka dropped what he was doing and found a specific piece of parchment rolled up. He unrolled it with haste and revealed a square with a circle inside of it. Around the outside were runes that he had told them symbolised the individual elements, flame-like in appearance but with small details that differentiated them from one another. He waved his palm over the circle before clapping his hands and muttering softly.

The circle glowed, shimmering like the water’s surface before the parchment inside showed the narrow mountain pass outside the city limits. Everyone’s gazes fixed on the window into the outside. The circle shimmered slightly before the faint sound of horse hooves against stones filtered through. Raimei’s form was almost a blur as he passed in front of the rune, quickly followed by Hotaru and Yuki. They watched the three horses continue away down the pass before Amaya came into view.

Inuoka nodded, clapping his hands again. The picture faded and the yellowed parchment came back.

“That’s so cool!” Hinata exclaimed. “You can see through those runes?”

Inuoka chuckled. “That’s how we knew you were coming. If I hadn’t prompted the rune to show me, it would’ve told me.”

“Told you.” Kenma repeated. “How?”

“Voices in my head usually.” Inuoka shrugged. “Not much trips them to activate.”

Nishinoya raised an eyebrow. “So how did you put them there? Like do you carve the outline and then enchant them with that paste of herbs?”

“Sometimes I send Kyoutani to carve them and then I activate them from here.” Inuoka began rolling the parchment up. “The one on the border I had to do myself because I needed to restock the mushrooms that the paste uses and it seemed smart to kill two birds with one stone.”

“Mushrooms.” Hinata repeated, remembering a certain blue mushroom he found. “Moniwa do we have those blue shrooms that we found in the forest still?”

There was a look of confusion on the other’s faces as Moniwa nodded, reaching into his satchel and producing the small leather pouch. He handed it to Inuoka who carefully pulled the fungi out. It had kept its blue colour but the glow was long gone.

“…huh.” He held it up to a candle to inspect it further. “This is…concerning.”

“What?” Nishinoya asked. “It’s a blue shroom.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Inuoka pouted slightly. “You found this in the southern forests yeah?”

Hinata nodded. “What’s wrong?”

“They don’t grow in this season.” He stated. “So this has been magically grown.”

“And?” Nishinoya failed to see the issue with this. “So a mage decided to grow some shrooms.”

Inuoka snorted. “Mages can’t grow these.” He smirked. “I know of only one creature that can prompt these to grow out of season.”

“Do enlighten us.” Kenma remarked.

They watched as Inuoka slipped the mushroom back into the leather pouch. He handed it to Hinata.

“Take it to Tobio. He’ll enlighten you.”

Hinata glanced between the pouch and Inuoka. He swallowed.

“Are you sure?”

Nishinoya paced forward. “You’re not just setting him up to made Tobio angry are you?”

Inuoka looked offended. “Fuck no. It’s just not my place to say.”

Nishinoya didn’t seem convinced but he nodded. “Well, let’s go and talk to his majesty then.”

Hinata shook his head. “No.”

Eyes were on him as he stepped around Inuoka’s table, cradling the pouch to his chest. He met Kenma’s gaze and smiled slightly.

“I’ll go alone.” He told them all. “Just me.”

“You sure?” Nishinoya asked.

Hinata nodded. “Yeah…yeah I’m sure.”

He ducked out of the room before he second-guessed himself. His hands were trembling as he remembered what was at stake. He hadn’t spoken directly to Tobio yet, he had barely been in the same room as him. He wasn’t sure what do expect beyond what the others had said about him.

In his time at the guild he had been trained to fight, trained to manage his powers, trained to pick locks and set traps. He had stolen from people, he had stalked them for information, he had even killed people.

But no-one had trained him how to befriend a king. And now the fate of not just one, but two kingdoms may rest on his actions.

To say he was nervous was an understatement.

He slipped the pouch into the pocket of his tunic as he stepped towards the stairs that led up to the top floor of the castle. He expected to find Asahi guarding the door, but when he found himself alone in the hallway he figured there wasn’t much point in having an armed guard there all the time. There was no telling how lethal Tobio could be.

He paused at the sliding door. Tobio seemed the sort to like royal protocol, but that was when Tsukishima was around. No-one knew what taking the mage away would do.

After taking a moment to quieten his mind, he knocked on the door frame three times. There were a few moments of silence before a voice called for him to enter. He slid the door open slowly, taking care not to rip the material as he stepped inside and closed it behind him.

Lanterns hung from the ceiling, each with a single candle inside. Their flickering glow illuminating the wall scrolls hung around. A large circular window let in the daylight from outside but the dark clouds overhead meant the room felt gloomy still. Hinata’s eyes clocked the large raised platform adorned with blankets and pillows before his gaze was firmly redirected to the low table that the king sat at.

“Ah. It’s you.” Tobio murmured, blue eyes calm as the lake by the guild’s hideout.

“Uh, yes,” Hinata bowed belatedly “uhm, I’ve come to ask you something— if that’s okay?”

Tobio reached out, gesturing to the floor pillow opposite him. “Sit.”

Hinata didn’t reject the offer. He watched as Tobio set a cup down in front of him and poured him some tea.

“What do you need to ask me?”

Hinata swallowed. “Uhm, well…” He wasn’t sure how to explain. He was too distracted by how calm Tobio seemed. “We found something in the forest, and Inuoka thinks you’re the only one who can tell me how it grew?”

There was no reaction from Tobio at first. “What did you find?”

Hinata pulled the pouch from his tunic pocket, offering it to Tobio. The king took it, opening it to pull out the blue mushroom. He inspected it without a word before setting it down on the table between them.

“I see.”

After fidgeting for a few moments, Hinata took a sip of the tea he had been offered. It was sweet to the taste but not overly flavoured.

“So, what made it grow?” Hinata asked.

Tobio hummed in thought. “A griffin.” He stated quietly. “Specifically one of my griffins.”

Hinata had no idea what Tobio just said.

“A…griffin?”

“Yes.”

“Uhm…what’s a griffin?

Tobio’s calm expression shifted, a smile curled at the corners of his mouth. “You don’t know?”

Hinata shook his head.

“What the hell are you taught in that place?” Tobio asked, taking a sip of his own tea. “I thought you mages were meant to be smart.”

Hinata gritted his teeth. “I _am_ smart.” He uttered.

“You don’t know what a griffin is. Which tells me at least two things;” Tobio set his cup down with a smirk “Tooru doesn’t care to educate his people about anything beyond the borders of his own damn kingdom. And you personally haven’t sought to expand your knowledge.”

“I have.” Hinata argued back. “I sought out Nishinoya to help me!”

Tobio snorted. “Inuoka sought out an entire library of knowledge. He’s one of the smartest mages I know because of it.”

Hinata didn’t know what made him mention it, but the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“And I expect Tsukishima told you that he’s the smartest around?”

Tobio’s smirk vanished. The calm blue eyes pooled with fury.

“What does he have to do with it?” Tobio muttered, fist clenching on the table.

Hinata could see he had two options now; answer the question honestly or hastily apologise. He chose the former.

“He’s smart enough to get inside people’s heads.” He said. “He got inside Yaku’s head. He tried to get into Akaashi’s. They’re two of the strongest willed people I know.” Hinata watched Tobio glare at him, fear coursed through him but he couldn’t stop himself now. He didn’t want to play it safe, the guild needed him to break through to Tobio, to break Tsukishima’s influence.

“He got inside your head didn’t he?”

“How fucking dare you—”

“He told you things. He made you see things. I’ve seen his powers at work.” Hinata watched as Tobio stood up and began pacing the room, shaking his head as Hinata continued. “He recalls the past of an area. He recalled what happened didn’t he—”

“Shut up!” Tobio snapped. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

Hinata stood up, his legs shook as Tobio glared at him. In his mind, he knew he wasn’t helping the situation, that Tobio was only going to shut him out now. But there was something inside him that urged him to continue. Tobio had to have been aware of what Tsukishima was doing. He had to have tried to fight it off.

“Did you want him to?”

Tobio averted his gaze. He let out a ragged breath as he stared out of the window.

“Whether I did or did not doesn’t matter.” Tobio uttered.

“Yes it does.” Hinata argued, he shook his head in disbelief. “Akaashi always taught me that empath mages have to seek permission before they do things like that.”

“Not always.”

“So you didn’t want him to.” He concluded it didn’t surprise him that Tsukishima would do something like this.

Tobio snorted. He brought his hands up and toyed with the ring on his finger. “Let me ask _you_ something.”

Hinata swallowed, waiting for the question.

“Have you ever lost someone?” Tobio met his gaze, eyes no longer holding fury within their dark depths but a more sombre feeling.

“N-No…”

“I lost everything.” He kept his voice level. “I have three people, just three, that survived with me.” He held up three fingers to illustrate his point. “We left before the killing started. We escaped with our lives. We didn’t have to see what happened, just the aftermath.”

He paced the room slowly, his hands clenching into fists

“When we returned, we had gained Kyoutani’s trust, he helped carve a path through the wilderness to this place.” He glanced around the room. “A lot of work has gone into making it beautiful again.”

“You wouldn’t know a battle happened…” Hinata murmured.

“Yeah?” Tobio gave him a forced smile, the smile widening almost maniacally. “Well once we cleared the bodies from the throne room, once we cremated my own parents, my grandfather, our loyal guards and servants…it was as it was before. It was home.”

Hinata watched as he shook his head.

“You wouldn’t understand…none of your group would understand…”

“Understand what?” Hinata asked.

Tobio glared at him. “Every time I sit on that throne, I see their bodies at my feet. You know why I can picture it so vividly?”

He didn’t give Hinata a chance to reply before his voice rose to a shout.

“Because that fucking mage made me see it! He made me see it _every_ day. He replayed my mother’s dying moments. He replayed my father’s scream as he watched his wife get slaughtered. I saw my grandfather, my hero, the man I thought was _invincible_ have a sword run through his chest. None of you will understand what it’s like to see that every fucking day. I wasn’t given a chance to say no. I didn’t give him permission, he saw it as a fucking game. A game I _lost_.”

The king let out a ragged breath. The silence falling between them. Hinata hadn’t expected an explosive conversation, but he felt his chest ache. He wanted to try and make it right. King or no king, Tobio shouldn’t have had to witness the death of his parents like that.

“You didn’t lose.” Hinata murmured. “How could you lose if you didn’t know it was a game?”

Tobio scoffed. “You’re so naive it hurts.”

“You didn’t lose though. Losing would mean that he won.” Hinata kept his stance. “What did he want to gain?”

“…you think I know that?” Tobio scoffed again. “He didn’t exactly tell me. He was far too interested in making me see it all over and over again.”

Hinata stepped closer, daring to reach out and touch his shoulder. The other didn’t flinch away like he thought he would.

“Let Akaashi look.” He murmured. “He…he can recall them and—”

Tobio gave Hinata an incredulous look. “No! No, I’m not—there are certain things that shouldn’t be recalled and the death of my family is one of them!”

“But it might be—”

“To hell with you mages.” Tobio uttered. “I’m done with this conversation, get out.”

Hinata sensed he had pushed his luck enough. He nodded and left without another word, dreading what he was going to tell the others. Akaashi’s plan looked almost certain to fail now, and with it, usher in the almost certain declaration of war.

He had fucked up big time.


	32. Mixed Successes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with November on the horizon, I'm intending to use NaNoWriMo this year to finish off this fic so we'll most likely be keeping the 2 updates a week through November but then in December I might step it up to 3 a week just so we can close out 2018 with this fic and I can focus on the third part of this series!
> 
> As always, thankyou to everyone who reads and an additional thankyou to those of you who leave kudos and comments! :3

**XXXI**

**Mixed Successes**

 

Akaashi let out a long, heavy sigh. This was not happening. He had not just been told that Hinata had gone to the king without being briefed, without even a shred of direction. He had not just been told that Hinata not only irritated the king, but gotten him into a hysterical state recalling the horrors of his family being killed.

It simply wasn’t happening. Or at least that’s what he had hoped but the rest of the guild were eerily quiet as Daichi tried to think up something comforting to say.

“Well…” Daichi tried to spin it in a positive light as Hinata was hugged by Kenma, Lev nudging his elbow in a cat-like way of showing sympathy. “At least we know how Tsukishima kept Tobio under his thumb.”

“That’s not exactly helpful though,” Kuroo uttered, rubbing his forehead. “With Tsukishima gone, Tobio’s about as stable as an unhinged mage.”

“Perfect.” Yaku sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Just…perfect.”

“I’m sorry.” Hinata burst out. “I didn’t mean to go that far!”

“It’s okay.” Suga quickly told him. “You couldn’t have known…”

“No,” Akaashi closed his eyes as he quelled the uneasiness inside him “but you’ve certainly put us in a sticky situation.”

Daichi held up a hand to silence everyone. “Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said, glancing to Suga “you and I are going to talk to Asahi.” His gaze moved to Kuroo. “You and Akaashi go and talk to Kyoutani.” Then his eyes set on Kenma. “You, Nishinoya and Moniwa go to Inuoka.” He kept his voice calm. “We need to know all we can about Tobio and get them to cooperate with us.”

“What about Yamaguchi?” Bokuto asked.

Yaku nodded. “He seems the most protective of Tobio, he’s probably our best bet.”

“True.” Daichi said. “But he’s also the most likely to shut us out if he thinks we’re doing more harm than good.”

“If it’s about protection, let me talk to him.” Yaku declared, keeping his gaze steady. “I can take Hinata with me.”

Daichi considered the offer. “Okay. But don’t push him to agree to anything, we just need to make him see the bigger picture - though I feel he’s the one who sees it the clearest.”

Bokuto cleared his throat. “What do you want me and Kindaichi to do?”

“Be helpful around the castle. I’m sure there are chores that need doing. You can work on gaining the House’s trust.” Daichi replied. “And maybe find out if they have a rookery. I need to update Misaki on this mess.” He added.

Bokuto saluted. “Got it, boss.”

“We have the rest of the day, or at least until supper.” Daichi told them. “Don’t be a nuisance to them, just pick for information. It’s likely that they’ll be suspicious but if we’re right in thinking that none of them agree with starting a war, they might be more open to aligning with us.”

Everyone nodded and started preparing to part on their respective missions. Nishinoya spoke up before anyone made it out of the door.

“Question, what if Tobio asks what we’re doing?”

Daichi glanced at Suga and then Kuroo. “Say we’re just helping out around the castle and learning more about his kingdom.”

“It’s not technically a lie.” Kuroo remarked, reaching out and taking Akaashi’s hand. “Let’s go find the dragon dude.”

Daichi watched as the group filtered out, waiting until even Lev trotted out after Kenma, tail high in the air. When it was just him and Suga, he let out a heavy sigh.

“…what are we going to do?” He murmured, barely wanting to speak. “We’re in a lose-lose situation.”

Suga shook his head. “We’re not. We must have faith in Kiyoko and Kunimi.”

“We shouldn’t rely on them alone.” Daichi replied. “We need to do everything we can to turn the tides of this…this…”

Hands took his shoulders gently, making him face Suga. A gentle smile on his best friend’s face quelled the uneasiness building in him.

“And we will.” Suga stated. “Because with you at the helm we won’t lose. We have some of the best warriors I’ve seen, not just in terms of their sword arms, but their will to keep going. Their will to overcome the odds. Heck, Hinata walked into the king’s chamber with only his will to put things right, and sure he got things a bit wrong, but he’s proven that Tobio isn’t a blood-thirsty tyrant with no feelings.”

“He’s just a scared boy.” Daichi sighed.

“A scared boy who’s been the victim of someone else’s decisions.” Suga reaffirmed. “And I think you and I know someone who was just like that when you met him.”

Daichi nodded. “Yeah, he was scared alright.”

“And now look at him,” Suga smiled “he co-leads this guild with a determination that rivals any warlord or ruler…he’s not totally alright yet, but he will be because he’s got a family surrounding him.”

There was a pause as Suga squeezed Daichi’s shoulders.

“We need to get Tobio to see he has a family too. Four people who are worried for him, who are doing their best to help him get better, who’ll do anything to keep him from making the worst decision he could make.”

“You think we can do it?” Daichi dared to ask. “That we can make him see?”

Suga swallowed. “I’d bet my life on it. If anyone can break the spell that Tsukishima put on him, it’s us.” He let out a weak laugh. “I mean, think about it, we reversed a transmutation spell. That’s a feat in itself.”

Daichi smiled back. “For a guild of assassins, we’ve certainly ended up doing a lot of things besides killing.”

Suga shrugged, releasing Daichi’s shoulders. “I like to think that if we didn’t save a few people here and there, we’d be just as bad as the Serpents.”

“Point proven.” He chuckled. “Let’s go and do our part then. Where’s Asahi?”

Suga hummed in thought for a moment. “The armoury probably.”

“Great, we can challenge him to a duel.” Daichi picked up his sword.

“You can. I got beat by Kiyoko and that’s more than enough for me.”

“Well she is a battle maiden.”

Suga scoffed, playfully shoving Daichi out the door. They made their way through the castle to the armoury. The doors were open as they arrived, giving them a full view of the man mountain that was Tobio’s royal guard. He was without his bear pelt, long brown hair swept up in a messy bun, strands coming loose as he swung the large axe around his head and brought it down on the dummy’s head. Shoulders shuddered as the axe stuck fast in the packed straw head. With a loud grunt, he pulled it free, powerful legs keeping him balanced as he swung the axe again.

“So do you wanna interrupt him or should I?” Suga whispered as the dummy bore the brunt of another hit.

Daichi snorted, unsheathing his sword. The steel sang as it ran against leather, catching Asahi’s attention. Without the bear pelt, Daichi could see his face clearly now; the dark stubble on his chin, the brown eyes that regarded him curiously before a smirk broke out on his face.

“Ah, it’s you two.” He hummed, holding his axe in one hand as he turned to face Daichi. “What do you want?”

Daichi adjusted his grip on his blade. “We were just going to practice our duelling, didn’t realise you’d be here.”

Asahi raised an eyebrow, looking Daichi up and down before doing the same to Suga. “Is that right?”

“Would I have brought my sword if it wasn’t?” Daichi remarked. “What do you say, fancy a sparring session?”

There were a few moments of silence from Asahi, he gave his axe a one-handed swing. “I don’t want to kill you.”

“You won’t.” Daichi smirked.

“You don’t understand,” Asahi’s smile faded “I was trained to kill in order to protect Tobio. I don’t do ‘practice’ with live targets.” He held up his axe, the sharp edge catching the firelight. “And this can kill you in one swing.”

“Then use a sword.” Daichi challenged. “Surely you know how to use a sword? You are the royal guard after all.”

Suga had to resist rolling his eyes at the cocky attitude as Asahi snorted. He dropped his axe with a loud clatter on the stone floor.

“Alright Sawamura.” He said. “Put some armour on and I’ll show you what the royal guard of House Kageyama is made of.”

After fetching the armour made up of leather and thin chainmail, Daichi gave his rapier an experimental swing. Asahi selected a near identical sword from the wall racks, testing its balance before standing ready. His own armour was a mixture of leather and layered cloth and fur on the surface. Light enough to move in but padded enough to blunt the blows of his enemies.

“Ready?” He asked, waiting for Daichi to adjust a leather strap.

“Sure.” Daichi smiled back. Suga swallowed, watching as they began circling the practice space. If any of the others showed up now, he wasn’t sure how he’d explain Daichi’s reasoning for challenging a royal guard with such a cocky attitude.

They both lunged forward at the same time, steel clashing as neither sword gave way immediately. Daichi stepped back, parrying the immediate advance Asahi made. He twisted his wrist and deflected the blade away. He wasn’t allowed to rest however as Asahi’s blade came back with intent to strike his forearm. With quick footwork he stepped back, bringing his own blade up to clash against it.

Suga watched as they parried blows, his fingers twitched to reach for a sword, the ingrained protective nature surging through him. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, even when Asahi’s blade struck Daichi’s side.

“Oof.” Daichi grunted, bringing up his sword to halt Asahi’s as he sought to strike his other side. His arms trembled at keeping the force at bay. “You’re certainly something.”

Asahi snorted, whipping his blade back and taking a moment to catch his breath, pacing slowly as they circled the room again.

“If I was aiming to kill you, you’d be dead by now.” Asahi remarked, adjusting his grip. “What do you _really_ want out of this?”

Daichi panted, his side was burning but has wasn’t bleeding. He gave Asahi a grin. “As I said, I wanted to practice. Who better to test my mettle against than a royal guard?”

“You really are a band of lunatics.”

“That’s us alright.”

Asahi shook his head. “Maybe you’re crazy enough to pull off whatever stunt you’ve planned.”

He moved with speed, swords clashing and clanging as they came together in a flurry of parries. Daichi ducked and rolled out of the way, evading the worst of the blows. He struck Asahi’s knees multiples times, even striking his shoulder on occasion.

They parted again, taking a measure of their injuries. Daichi could taste blood in his mouth where he had bitten on his lip. Asahi looked more ragged after that round of parries, sweat beading on his forehead, more strands of hair coming loose.

“It depends what stunt you’re referring to.” Daichi replied to his earlier remark. “What do you think we’re here for?”

Asahi rolled his shoulder. “I imagine it has something to do with Tobio.”

Daichi nodded, raising an eyebrow before swiping at the blood on his lip. “Tobio’s unstable. We’re just trying to stop him doing something stupid.”

Asahi lunged forward, sword coming down on Daichi’s shoulder with enough force to make him fumble with his blade. He recovered quickly and head-butted Asahi’s chest whilst he was close enough. With a tighter grip on his sword, he landed a quick flurry of hits before Asahi met his blade.

They paused, swords scraping against one another as they fought for dominance.

“And I guess you want my help.” Asahi grunted, pushing harder and making Daichi dig his heels in.

“Well, Kuroo would say ‘the more the merrier’ when it comes to something like this.” Daichi smiled, pushing back. “You don’t want to fight a war do you?”

“It’s what I train for. I took an oath to protect him.”

“But do you want to fight a _war_ as part of that oath?” Daichi repeated the question, his sword slipping slightly.

“Once you take an oath, you follow it through, no matter what.” Asahi nodded, stepping back and bringing his sword in a circular motion to take out Daichi’s ankles and send him to the floor. He placed his foot on Daichi’s chest as the other panted heavily. “I’ve never met a royal guard who’s a pacifist, think about why that is.”

“Because they weren’t given a choice.” Daichi replied, staring down the blade that hovered above him. “You have a choice, a chance to stop this war before it begins.”

Asahi narrowed his eyes. He grunted, releasing Daichi and allowing him to roll away. He set the sword back on the sword rack as Suga helped get the armour off Daichi.

“For what it’s worth,” Asahi broke the silence “you fight with spirit. But your form is sloppy.” He said. “You’re not the worst swordsman I’ve faced.”

Daichi chuckled, holding his side. “Thanks…I guess.”

Asahi nodded, picking up his axe and slinging it across his shoulders. “I’ll be on my way.”

Suga tsked loudly. “So what about that choice?” He called before Asahi made it to the door, halting the warrior.

“…I’ll consider it.” He grunted, glancing over his shoulder at Suga. “If Tobio changes his mind, then so will I.”

He continued out of the armoury without saying another word.

“Well he’s a stubborn one.” Suga sighed.

“Like someone else I know.” Daichi remarked.

“Who?”

“You.”

Suga punched his shoulder.

 

* * *

 

 

No-one had ventured up the stairs leading away from the guest quarters, but Kuroo and Akaashi knew its where Kyoutani’s dragon resided. It was impossible not to know with the creaking of wooden beams and the low rumbles. At the top of the stairs was a small room, a single door leading off from it. Kuroo knocked before entering.

The beady red eyes fixed on them immediately as the dragon rose its head. Its long tail was curled around itself as it lay on the straw that covered the floor, wings were folded in but slowly moved as if to open.

“Steady.” Kyoutani’s voice commanded, attracting the beast’s attention before it calmed itself. He stepped out from a room beyond them, scowling slightly at the intruders. “What do you want?”

Kuroo put up his hands in surrender as Kyoutani moved beside his dragon, patting the beast’s head as if it were a dog. “We were just coming to talk.”

“About what?” Kyoutani continued.

Akaashi stepped forward. “Inuoka mentioned the Blue Serpents coming to you and asking to ally themselves. Why did you turn them away?”

Kyoutani kept his expression neutral. “Because I know what they are.”

“And what are they?”

“Trouble.”

Kuroo chuckled. “Correct.”

Kyoutani didn’t laugh. “Right, so why do you wanna know?”

Akaashi glanced out over the throne room, the wall that should’ve been there was instead an open hatch made up of sliding doors, presumably to allow the dragon in and out. His eyes drifted over the throne.

“You told me that he’s not right. We’re trying to fix that.”

“Uh huh, and how exactly are you doing that?” Kyoutani scoffed. “Tsukishima may be gone, but the damage he’s done is still very much here.”

“We know that.” Akaashi stated, turning his gaze back to Kyoutani. “Hinata found out what damage that is.”

Kyoutani’s neutral expression faltered into a scowl once more as he folded his arms across his chest. “Oh yeah? What great tell did your little mage find out?”

“Tsukishima’s recalled Tobio’s parents’ dying moments to him. Multiple times. Daily.”

The dragon stirred slightly, a low rumble emitting from its chest. Kyoutani sighed.

“That fucker.”

You didn’t know?” Kuroo asked.

“No. Tobio stopped talking to us. I’m an outsider though so it didn’t concern me, Yamaguchi though…he took it hard.”

Akaashi didn’t doubt that. “Where are you from, and how did you end up here?”

There was a small laugh as Kyoutani stepped alongside Akaashi and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s a long story, but let's just say I was roaming the wilderness between this kingdom and the empire. I stumbled across this group of people not equipped to deal with the cold season that was approaching.”

“Tobio?” Kuroo supplied.

“Yup.” Kyoutani glanced to his dragon, taking his hand from Akaashi's shoulder and gesturing to her. “Aoi here was a hatchling so I was looking for somewhere we could call home whilst the storms rolled through. When I found Tobio and his people, I figured I’d at least stop them freezing to death.”

“You gave them supplies?” Akaashi asked.

“No, they had supplies, just no knowledge of the area. I took them to a cave network I was heading to. It’s only three chambers deep but it was enough to keep us sheltered.” Kyoutani smiled slightly. “We spent the entire season together. I was told about the invasion, I had heard something was afoot when I went near the northern border but I wasn’t up to date on who was on the throne and whatnot.” He shrugged. “I gained Tobio’s trust by keeping them all alive for four moon cycles. Aoi was our protector from wild animals, she was feisty when she was a hatchling.”

The dragon’s tail swished as she responded to her name being mentioned. Kyoutani smiled again.

“So when Tobio announced he wanted to return, I figured I’d tag along and help out. I had a vague idea of what I was walking into and since I didn’t know… uh _them_ , the bodies didn’t disturb me that much.”

Kuroo hummed. “So you basically became an honorary knight.”

“Pft.” Kyoutani scoffed. “Knight. That’s a title with no meaning to me. I’m just a guy with his dragon who took pity on a kid. That kid happened to be the heir to the throne that’s all. They gave me a place to live and said I could keep Aoi with me, that’s good enough for me…but I didn’t sign up for a war. If we’re attacked, I’m defending this place but only because they showed me kindness when no-one else did.”

Akaashi nodded. “So…you know where we stand on Tsukishima.”

“You hate him, yeah.” Kyoutani chuckled. “Join the club.”

“We’re trying to undo the damage he’s done but we need Tobio to trust us.”

Kyoutani clicked his teeth. “That’s not gonna come easy.”

“With you, it will.” Kuroo stepped up beside Akaashi. “He trusts you.”

“Yeah but—” Kyoutani shook his head. “He used to trust us. But if Tsukishima’s been in his head…gods only know what he’s been told.”

The couple exchanged a glance. Akaashi let out a small sigh. “I can find out. But I need Tobio to let me.”

Kyoutani looked between him and Kuroo. “You’re not suggesting using magic are you…”

“He is.” Kuroo nodded. “It’s the only way to find out without making Tobio tell us.”

“But it’ll require his consent, which we won’t get if he’s holding us at arm's length.”

Kyoutani rubbed his face with his hands. “You’re all lunatics.”

“We get that a lot.”

There was no response from Kyoutani. He paced over to where Aoi was watching intently, her red eyes meeting his gaze. Akaashi almost wanted to eavesdrop on whatever thoughts she was having. She leaned into Kyoutani’s touch, tail swishing as he ran his fingertips along her scales.

“I assume your guild is working to get all of us on your side huh?” Kyoutani asked.

“Yes.” Kuroo replied. “We’re not the enemy here, we just want Tobio to make his choice without being influenced by someone like Tsukishima.”

Kyoutani hummed in thought. “You won’t get Asahi immediately. He swore an oath. Inuoka is probably the easiest to talk into it, he can see the bigger picture. Yamaguchi is your biggest problem.”

“How so?” Akaashi prompted.

“He’s Tobio’s best friend.” Kyoutani explained. “He wants to protect Tobio, trouble is he doesn’t know who to protect him from anymore. He blames himself for letting Tsukishima get too close.”

“How _did_ Tsukishima get in?”

Kyoutani shrugged. “He showed up one day spouting about he was a scout from House Oikawa. Tobio, being how he is, was eager to hear why a scout would show up on his doorstep and willingly share his secrets. Yamaguchi didn’t voice any concern past letting Tsukishima become so friendly so quickly.  
I stayed out of it, I’m not of the House so I don’t get involved in the politics. But Tsukishima didn’t leave for a while, then when he did leave he was under orders to keep an eye on things. Half a year later he comes back with you lot.”

“Tobio let him in willingly and Tsukishima took advantage of how desperate Tobio was to get answers.”

“I guess.” Kyoutani shrugged again. “Yamaguchi didn’t confide much in me, so that’s all I know for sure. I hope whoever you have going to talk to him has at least some idea of how he feels.”

Kuroo sighed. “Well, I guess we’ll find out how compassionate Yaku can be.”

“You’re filling me with confidence here.” Kyoutani uttered.

“Welcome to the guild, where nothing is certain except something terrible will happen.” Kuroo shrugged.

Akaashi sighed. “Nevermind Kyoutani, you’re not filling me with confidence.”

Kuroo looked mildly offended. “Hey, tell me I’m wrong.”

Akaashi ignored him, turning his gaze to Kyoutani. “So, are you with us on this?”

“On fixing it? Sure. On convincing Tobio to let you poke around in his head? Why not. On killing Tsukishima when this is all over? Fuck yes.”

Kuroo grinned. “I like him Keiji, can we keep him?”

“I don’t think the guild has room for a dragon.” Akaashi stated. “And no, we’re not making room for one.”

Kuroo pouted. Kyoutani chuckled, shaking his head. “As I said, you’re all lunatics.”

 


	33. Ghosts of the Past

**XXXII**

**Ghosts of the Past**

 

Shirabu’s tables were littered with leather bound journals. He hadn’t realised just how much the late king had kept written down in the time he had reigned. Stacks of letters that he both sent and received accompanied the journals, the varying colours of the seals indicated far too many people were on the suspect list.

He had decided to start by noting if anyone was annoyed at the king in the last year of his life, starting with the major land disputes and issues surrounding a certain ex-lord. It was not fun work by any accounts but occasionally he’d get a hoot out of some scathing remarks made about nobles or the ludicrous accusations made by farmers surrounding missing livestock. By the time he had read through most of the letters, he had gotten a good grasp of how the kingdom was being run. Being an outsider to this particular kingdom didn’t help, but the letters and journals helped Shirabu piece together how it functioned.

It was certainly a lot more disorganised than the empire.

The kingdom was split into at least five major regions, each with their own lord or lady overseeing the individual settlements within them. The central region - containing Tanishiti - was the most stable in terms of leadership as the king himself reigned supreme. The only other region that seemed stable form the notes he had read was the southern region that houses Kōshi. Shirabu had discovered many letters and declarations written talking about how volatile the rest of the kingdom had been, and still was to a degree.

The simple of question of ‘who would’ve wanted the king dead?’ had become more of a ‘who would have the most to gain from killing him?’. And Shirabu didn’t like the idea of asking a spirit such a loaded question.

He had turned his attention to who had direct contact with the king, his servants, his council, even his family and close friends. There weren’t many things mentioned that tipped him off in the earlier journals, but as he read closer to the day of his death, Shirabu started getting weird vibes.

_‘That guy showed up at court again today. He wanted to offer his services as a scout but he seemed far too childish to be trusted to report back seriously. I don’t even know his name but he claims to be from the southeast which might explain his lack of manners.’_

He kept coming across mentions of a stranger showing up to court, there was never any description of him in appearance, just that he was very persistent about being of use to the House. Offers to be a scout, a courier, a servant, Shirabu had seen it all. After a while the mentions of him vanished, but then he reappeared.

_‘So I sent him to Kitamine. He wanted to be of use so I figured he could go and get the mines working again. I don’t care if the council hate him, if he impresses me, I’ll let him stay.’_

Shirabu paced his room, reading the journals every waking moment he could. The mysterious scout seemed to get the Kitamine mines working and thus gained the king’s trust. Tooru had never mentioned a scout by his father’s side so Shirabu was intrigued as to where this was headed.  
He reached the last journal. He didn’t get far in before he noted that something was off. Up until this point, Tooru’s father had written neatly and in good, well-spoken sentences. There was a notable change in how he wrote at the start of the dry season, exactly two moon cycles before his death.

_‘He tells me things. Things that I didn’t want to know. Whenever he enters the room my body tenses. It’s like he carries this unseen weight with him…I keep him away from Tooru. I don’t want Tooru to see what I’ve seen.’_

Shirabu set the journal down. He had expected a more black and white clue, an obvious threat to life, a letter declaring to watch his back. This was something more sinister and unseen. He scanned the entries, the wording getting more erratic as time went on. Shirabu hadn’t met the late king, but he imagined that he kept his thoughts well under wraps from his family if no-one suspected anything.

_‘I can’t sleep anymore. Even with my wife beside me, sleep won’t come. It’s that guy’s doing. He smiles at me so innocently, so trusting. He tells me I can trust him to take care of things. He tells me my son will be a good king.’_

The door to Shirabu’s room opened slowly. He glanced up from the book to find no-one there. Narrowing his eyes, he went back to reading, leaving the door open.

_‘My head feels like it’s splitting open. The council irritate me with their bickering. The news of the people being mad has no effect on me. My wife gives me curious glances across the table, she mentions our daughter and that we should visit. I agreed, but I feel I won’t get to see her face again in this life.  
Every he comes near me I can’t bear it. His thoughts flood mine. He’s not going to stop. I don’t know what he wants.’_

The entries ceased for a few days, Shirabu flicked through the blank pages to find a double page spread filled with ink blotches. Frantic writing was largely illegible, he turned the journal this way and that to try and decipher it. Giving up, he turned the page to find a single entry.

_‘My son. My time has come. I pray to the gods that you find this one day. I cannot tell you exactly what has happened, my mind feels like it’s splitting as I write this. The truth and the lies he had fed me blurring into one being._

_Know that none of this is your fault. You could not have stopped this even if you knew._

_All I ask, not as your king but as your father, is that you be wary of who you trust. Do not trust blindly my son. Our kingdom rests on your shoulders, and if you fall, she will fall too._

_Know that I am with you, that from the ashes of my departure you will rise. Burn brightly my son, and usher in peace to our people.’_

The journal ended there. Shirabu swallowed. As he mulled over the cryptic wording, the door slammed shut without warning, startling him.

“Well.” Shirabu exhaled, slamming the book shut. “This took a turn.”

He glanced at his bookshelves, briefly considering which ones would have the knowledge needed for the next stage of Iwaizumi’s crazy favour. His mind was whirling, processing everything he had read. A few things irked him about all of this; how did no-one realise the king was deteriorating? How did Tooru not know about this scout? Who even was the scout? He wasn’t mentioned by name or appearance and Iwaizumi hadn’t mentioned him.

“…I did not leave the empire to get caught up in this fuckery.” He sighed, reaching under his table into a crate. He pulled out the bottle and uncorked it, chugging half of it in a few seconds. “Right,” he uttered, setting the bottle down and wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic “if we’re gonna do this, lets do it right.”

He found the first journal he had begun reading through and opened it. To understand exactly what happened he was going to have to reread everything, analyse every word, every mention of this scout, pick apart who he said he was and when he was around causing trouble.

Shirabu may not have been in the kingdom when this all happened, but Iwaizumi just made it his business to find out what the fuck happened, and he was not about to let a mysteriously opening and closing door spook him away from it.

 

* * *

 

Finding Yamaguchi was harder than Yaku thought. He wasn’t sure where the other would be in all honesty. With Hinata following his every step, they had checked the hot springs, the banquet hall and all the rooms in between. Yaku’s last stop was Inuoka’s quarters, the mage didn’t seem overly concerned about why Yaku was looking for Yamaguchi and told him what he needed to know.

“Why would he be in the tower?” Hinata asked as Yaku set off down the stairs.

“I dunno, but we’ll find out.” Yaku replied, ignoring the sounds of sword-fighting coming from the armoury.

They walked back into the entrance hall of the castle. He opened one of the side doors and found a narrow fenced walkway opened to the elements. The square tower sat at the end of a small path that split off from the walkway that hugged the castle. It rose several levels up, going one floor higher than the roof of the castle.  
Inside the tower were weapons stacked ready to repel any assault, a staircase spiralled upwards towards the roof, small landings providing more space for weapons and firewood for signal fires. Neither of them spoke as they ascended, Yaku mulled over what he was going to say to Yamaguchi as the wooden steps creaked under their weight.

Once at the top of the stairs, they had to climb a ladder to reach the last level. Yaku poked his head out of the hatch and saw Yamaguchi leaning on the wooden fence.

“Hey.” He called, attracting the other’s attention as he stepped up beside him, Hinata scrambling not to be left behind.

“Hey.” Yamaguchi replied, turning his attention back to the view in front of him.

From the tower they could see into the city below, the roofs of the empty buildings, both intact and damaged. Yaku could appreciate just how big the city was, as it sprawled out in front of them towards the lake. The trees were more colourful than he’d ever seen, the splashes of red and orange amongst faded green and mustard yellow. The blue tiled roofs stood out amongst them standing out even more from his angle. But whereas it looked like an impressive city, the eerie silence chilled Yaku.

The wind whistled as it blew through the ghost city. The distant creaking of wooden joints and clattering of broken tiles and stone being tossed around in the strong breeze sounded far too loud.

“Enjoying the view?” Yamaguchi remarked as the conversation failed to start.

“Yeah…” Yaku murmured, leaning on the beam as Yamaguchi did. Hinata felt out of place as the two of them cast their gazes out. The mountains were close but not bearing down on them like a predator, they almost felt like a mother’s protective embrace. “I bet it was prettier before the attack.”

Yamaguchi nodded. “It was.”

“Tell me about it.” Yaku glanced at Yamaguchi’s wistful expression. “Tell me how you remember it.”

Yamaguchi sighed, not meeting Yaku’s gaze. “There were more buildings before. Part of the main square fell into the lake in the growing season. We used to hold festivals in the plaza, we’d light a big fire and have the bards play late into the night…there was food, dancing, the—” he paused for a moment, swallowing before letting out a shaky breath “the king would mingle with the common folk. One of House Kageyama’s values is being close to their people…being royal doesn’t mean shit to them if they don’t treat their people with respect.”

Yaku nodded. “A noble house indeed.” He worried his lip between his teeth for a moment. “Is it always so colourful? The trees are unlike any I’ve seen.”

Yamaguchi cracked a smile. “Yeah, the plants around here are more colourful. Part of it is the soil, the volcano’s past eruptions left it fertile.”

“And what’s the other part?” Yaku pressed.

“House Kageyama’s secret.” Yamaguchi met his gaze. “The more unofficial guardian of the House.”

Hinata leaned on the beam on Yamaguchi’s other side. “The griffins?”

He got a puzzled look fro the other. “Who told you about them?”

“Tobio did.” Hinata replied. Yaku struck his palm against his forehead.

“When?” Yamaguchi’s puzzlement deepened.

“When I spoke to him earlier.” Hinata deadpanned.

Yaku saw a moment to step in. “He went to ask Tobio about a blue shroom we found.” He explained. “And Tobio told him it was his griffin that prompted it to grow but didn’t go into detail before—”

“Before he got mad at me.”

Yamaguchi looked back and forth between them. “Slow down.” He uttered. “You went to talk to Tobio about shrooms, and he got mad at you _because_ …?”

Yaku gave Hinata a pointed look.

“Uhm,” Hinata started, already realising he may have spoken at the wrong time “I…I asked if Tsukishima had gotten inside his head?”

The steward let out a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh gods…” He sighed. “Okay and how did he react to that?”

“Not well.” Yaku replied.

Yamaguchi nodded. “As I would think.”

“…I’ll be honest,” Yaku remarked, looking out across the city again “when we first arrived, we thought you were all set on starting a war with Tooru.”

Yamaguchi snorted. “Uh huh. Well if Tsukishima has his way, it won’t matter what we want.”

“Which is why we’re not letting him have his way.”

“You tell yourself that after he’s fucked with your head.” Yamaguchi muttered.

“He has.” Yaku stated. “He already has. And if anything, he just made a very stubborn enemy out of me.”

There were a few moments of silence. Yamaguchi shook his head slightly, chuckling slightly. “So what did he make you see huh? Cause he made me see some fucked up shit.”

Hinata watched as Yaku stiffened, the confident aura he had been giving off faltered as he met Yamaguchi’s solemn eyes. Yaku raised an eyebrow, letting out a sigh.

“To keep it short, he showed me how he would slaughter my sister.” Yaku stated coldly. “It took him a few moments, but he did it.”

Yamaguchi nodded. “So he showed you a possibility, that’s better than what he did to me.”

Yaku waited, holding Yamaguchi’s gaze as the other wetted his lips. “He gave me a front row seat to him murdering an entire bandit clan with a single dagger.”

A stony silence fell. Hinata was morbidly curious about how vivid each vision was, but had the good sense to not ask. The wind rustled the leaves in the trees below, the cold air stinging exposed skin.

“So what did he make Tobio see?” Yamaguchi asked Hinata.

After getting a nod from Yaku, Hinata replied; “uh, he made Tobio see the death of his parents…over and over…” he felt uncomfortable recalling it, the fury and hurt in Tobio’s eyes was burnt into Hinata’s mind almost as vividly as the visions he had been having.

“Over and over.” Yamaguchi repeated. “Explains a lot.”

“How so?” Yaku murmured.

Yamaguchi shrugged. “Tobio’s always been reclusive.” He smiled slightly. “He was always a shy boy, his mother doted on him so much. I remember being introduced to him when we were young.” A more relaxed expression graced Yamaguchi’s face, but Yaku could see the wistfulness in his eyes again. “We played together, were taught how to read and write, how to defend ourselves…he was really the only friend I had growing up.”

“You’re the same age I guess?” Yaku asked.

“Yeah, though I’m a few months older.” Yamaguchi remarked. “Even when he had to start learning how to be a prince, I was permitted at his side. Asahi was introduced to him then, the implication that he’d become Tobio’s royal guard was clear even to me. The three of us were inseparable.”

The dark clouds ahead were darkening slowly, the wind picking up more and making the rustling trees seem louder. Yamaguchi’s smile faded a little as he gazed up at the storm clouds.

“Tobio’s never been good at telling people how he feels. I used to be able to read him well, to tell when he was upset, when he was thoughtful, when he wanted to burst with excitement. He was never very good at dealing with stress either.”

“Stress?” Hinata asked quietly. “Like what?”

Yamaguchi smiled at him. “Sometimes his grandfather would ask him to duel one of the guards to see how well he was training. Tobio is by no means useless, but being twelve summers old and facing off against a recruit for the guards is not exactly relaxing.”

“I imagine he felt judged.” Yaku hummed.

“In a way, he just felt like a lot was expected of him. He is an only child. The lone heir.” Yamaguchi murmured. “When he lost, which happened of course, he’d break down later. His parents were loving, but I think they knew that he needed to learn to cope by himself, to trust in Asahi and myself, so they rarely got involved.” He let out a shaky breath. “I’ve seen him at his weakest more times than I’d like to count, but through it all he started trusting me.”

“And now?” Hinata murmured.

There was no immediate response. Yamaguchi hastily brought his hand up to wipe his eyes before replying; “now I don’t know what to do. He’s shut me out completely.”

Yaku reached out and placed a hand on Yamaguchi’s shoulder. “But you’re still here. That means something, even if he’s not showing it, I’m sure he’s noticed you’re still here.”

“I didn’t take an oath like Asahi.” Yamaguchi sniffed. “Not to any king or prince at least.” He met Yaku’s gaze, his eyes glassy with tears. “I took an oath to my best friend. The day his world started crashing down I told him I’d stand by him no matter what. I told him that he was my best friend and I would die for him. And you know what? If this war does happen, I’ll be damn sure he survives it, even if I don’t.”

Yaku swallowed. There was a fire within Yamaguchi’s sorrowful eyes, a determination. He dared to smile.

“Well,” he spoke softly, squeezing Yamaguchi’s shoulder “we have a plan to stop you having to fulfil that oath.”

“Really?” Yamaguchi didn’t seem totally believing.

“But we need your help.” Yaku added. “Because right now Tobio is unstable and he’s lashing out at everyone who tries to help.”

Yamaguchi huffed, he stepped away slightly before beginning to pace the narrow walkway. The wind seemed to strengthen as he paused, making his hair shift. He let out a heavier sigh, running his hands through his hair and tugging slightly.

“What’s the plan?” He asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Yaku’s smile grew. “Akaashi is an empath mage, not nearly as psychotic as Tsukishima, but he’s got similar powers.” Hinata nodded in agreement as Yaku continued. “We’re thinking of getting Akaashi to try and fix what damage Tsukishima has done.”

“How? Erasing Tobio’s memories aren’t going to help—”

“No, but pulling more positive ones to the forefront of his mind will.” Yaku cut in. “Tsukishima’s been pulling the memories of the throne room and shoving them into Tobio’s mind. Akaashi would seek to effectively write over them by making Tobio remember happier times. Times like you just talked about. Reminding him of the better things in his life.”

Hinata hadn’t realised they had thought through the plan in such detail, he daren’t question it as Yamaguchi swallowed.

“I can see it working.” He murmured. “But we need to get him to agree first.”

“That’s where you and the others come in.” Yaku replied.

Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow. “…I can’t see Asahi agreeing to this. Kyoutani and Inuoka sure, but he’s not…” he trailed off. “Asahi will see it as a threat.”

“Not if the rest of the house agree it’s the best course of action.” Yaku countered. “Look, we have a few days before Tsukishima potentially returns. And when he does, he’ll go right back to shoving the foul thoughts into Tobio’s mind, except this time he won’t stop and even worse; Tooru might be with him.” He stepped forward, closing the gap slightly. “Tadashi, he’s your best friend. Hinata broke Tsukishima’s hold over him by riling him up, but if anyone has a hope in hell of punching through the walls he’s put up, it’s you.”

Hinata watched as Yamaguchi looked like he was going to start crying. The other inhaled deeply before nodding as he exhaled. He met Yaku’s gaze with a more determined gaze.

“As long as you have my back, sure.” He stated.

Yaku brought his closed fist over his heart and smiled, Hinata hurried to do the same. “The Brotherhood stands with you.” Yaku declared. “We’ll fix this mess, I promise.”

 


	34. Oaths and Duties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, there are some graphic descriptions of violence in this chapter.

  
**XXXIII**

**Oaths and Duties**

  
When word reached Daichi that the others had been more successful than him in convincing House Kageyama’s staff, he let out a relieved sigh. He told Akaashi that Yamaguchi was prepared to talk to Tobio, to convince him to let the other attempt to untangle this mess.

Akaashi showed a carefully measured indifference in the face of the guild. He quietly stated he needed time to prepare, to which Daichi was all too accommodating. The afternoon was wearing on and it looked unlikely anything would be happening before the next day, but Akaashi was all too familiar with how taxing his powers were. He silently took Kuroo’s hand and led him down to the hot springs. They were alone in their intent to relax, the warm waters inviting and soothing to the touch as Akaashi leaned back against the smooth stone.

“So, what exactly are you doing to Tobio?” Kuroo asked, the idea had been referred to in different ways but he was yet to properly figure it out.

Akaashi let his eyes close. “In short, I’m making Tobio recall happier memories,” Akaashi replied, voice barely above a whisper. “How that happens depends on many things.”

Kuroo nodded, though Akaashi couldn’t see it. “Uh huh…what are the risks?”

“Too many to dwell on.” Akaashi bluntly said.

“Keiji…”

“Tetsurou.” Akaashi raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes shut, focusing on the warm water surrounding him. “What’s the problem?”

With a sharp inhale Kuroo ran his hand through his hair, leaning back against the stone as well. “Well, you don’t know how brutal those memories are. You could…you could freak out and freak him out.”

Akaashi was silent.

“And once you’ve seen them, you’re gonna have them haunting you.”

“No more than my nightmares currently haunt me.”

“That’s not the point.” Kuroo sighed, reaching out and cupping Akaashi’s face, prompting the other to open his eyes. “Keiji are you sure we can’t get a poultice made or something—”

Akaashi took Kuroo’s hand from his face and kissed his palm. “I wish we could. No poultice I know of will be nearly as effective.”

Kuroo shook his head. “It’s unfair on you though. You shouldn’t have to do this to yourself.”

“So I should sit by and let Tobio suffer?” Akaashi asked quietly. “He never asked for this, he isn’t equipped to fight it off. I am.”

Kuroo didn’t have a response, he moved closer, wrapping his arm around Akaashi and pressing a kiss to his forehead. He stayed silent for a while, letting Akaashi rest his head against his chest as the sound of running water echoed around the cavern.

“You’re too kind for your own good.” Kuroo murmured.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Akaashi hummed. “I’ve done exactly what Tsukishima has done to our victims. I’m just trying to use these powers for a nobler cause.”

Kuroo snorted in amusement. “…gods, what have I done to be blessed with you…”

Akaashi chuckled. “You stole a boat within a few days of meeting me and I had to save your ass.”

“Okay but that was funny.” Kuroo pulled back slightly and met Akaashi’s gaze. “You had to admit it.”

“If you say so, I was more preoccupied with making sure we didn’t sink.”

“We’d never sink.” Kuroo remarked, bringing his hand to tilt Akaashi’s chin up. “We’ve weathered plenty of storms together, and remained afloat.”

Akaashi got the idea Kuroo wasn’t strictly talking about boats anymore. “Indeed, and there are more to come.”

Kuroo leaned down slightly. “Well we’ll face them head on, and together.”

With a small smile, Akaashi closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to Kuroo’s as he brought his hands up to card through Kuroo’s hair. Lips parted tenderly, Kuroo smiled into the kiss, hands holding Akaashi’s face close. Their noses bumped as Kuroo deepened the kiss, a sense of desperation in his movements as Akaashi pulled back slightly.

“Tetsurou,” he breathed across Kuroo’s lips “it’s okay, I’ll be okay.”

Kuroo swallowed, sighing. “I just…” he trailed off.

Akaashi could sense what he was getting at. It was a strange feeling, to be powerless to help. Kuroo liked being in control, he liked being able to see the battle ahead, every option, every risk. But this was one battle he wouldn’t be able to see. Much like reversing the transmutation ritual, this was going to test not only Akaashi’s powers but Kuroo’s trust.

“We’ll weather this storm Tetsurou.” Akaashi murmured. “And when this is over I’ll take you home…I’ll introduce you to my family.”

“I can’t wait.” Kuroo let out a relieved sigh.

“Just do one thing for me right now.” Akaashi gently dropped his head to rest on Kuroo’s shoulder. “Hold me, I need to put my mind at ease.”

Kuroo nodded, wrapping his arm around Akaashi once more.

 

* * *

 

The night crept in quickly. The lanterns illuminated the castle in an eerie glow, perhaps even eerier when the guild brothers wandered around helping Yamaguchi close all the shutters on the windows. The storm was strengthening above them, distant rumbles of thunder accompanied the gusts of winds. The wooden beams creaked as the castle stood defiantly in the face of foul weather, Kyoutani’s dragon shifted in her nest, another tip-off that the storm was larger than thought.

“We’ve faced harsher weather.” Yamaguchi stated as Kindaichi glanced up at the ceiling of the throne room. “Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worrying. We’re just used to burying ourselves in our tunnels when storms happen.” He chuckled. “We feel a little out of place here.”

Yamaguchi smiled. “I feel the same way. This castle is big, especially when only a handful of people live here…your guild has made it feel a little more like it used to be.”

Kindaichi smiled at that, it was as close to a compliment as the ‘band of lunatics’ had gotten so far. They finished securing the shutters in place before Yamaguchi saw Kindaichi back to the guest quarters. There was a hush in the room as Akaashi returned, Hinata couldn’t help but liken how he seemed now to when they first met; an indifferent but calm person. There was no trace of worry or nerves in his expression as he sat down by the brazier, petting Lev’s head as the cat sniffed him in curiosity.

“How is he?” Daichi asked Kuroo in a hushed tone.

“Same old Keiji.” Kuroo replied, looking fondly at Akaashi. “He’s ready whenever Yamaguchi is.”

Daichi nodded. No-one was sure when to really approach Tobio. Kyoutani and Inuoka had been watching the king’s movements since Hinata riled him up. They hadn’t seen him leave his chambers for most of the afternoon, Asahi had entered in the early evening to give him food but that was where it all ended.

It was decided to put it off until the daylight, or at least until after the storm. So Daichi told the guild to sleep. Akaashi fell asleep quickly in Kuroo’s embrace. Bokuto and Kenma watching on as the signs of nightmares failed to manifest. Yaku and Nishinoya played a quiet game of cards, trying to distract themselves from the storm outside that Kiyoko, Kunimi and Tanaka were caught in. Suga demanded that Daichi let him look at the place on his side where he had been struck earlier that day, the guild leader tried to play down the pain he was in but Suga wasn’t taking no for an answer. Moniwa ignored the slightly raised whispers that were the two of them arguing over it, focusing instead on all the notes he had scribbled that day in Inuoka’s chambers. He explained some of them to Kindaichi in an effort to make sense of them himself with the other nodding and trying to understand the complex ways that the magic worked.

Hinata kept his mind from racing by toying with the flames, Lev watching him intently. He focused on creating a vortex, knowing that he should’ve needed a circle like Inuoka but found his fingers flexing all the same. The flames bent and twirled, dancing and casting shadows on the parchment walls. The hissing of coals was near constant, crackling and popping of wood breaking the silence.

Between the hisses, the cracks and pops, Hinata started hearing more. His vision was beginning to shift. The bright orange light spread even when the fire didn’t. He tilted his head back slightly, not realising until it was too late.

_“Shoyo._ _”_ the gravelly voice boomed, louder than Hinata had heard it before. Lighting flashed in his mind, the thunder following.

_"He’s hurting. He’s lonely.”_

Hinata’s fingers chilled. A blizzard opened up in his mind. He could hear a familiar voice but the blizzard drowned them out.

_“You need to guide him. You need to show him.”_

The blizzard vanished in an instance, a burst of fire taking its place. Within the fire, the shadowy form of a bird appeared. A screech emanating from it as it flapped its wings.

_“They won’t wait. They won’t take pity on him.”_

_“You must make him see"_

The fire and the bird within it vanished. He blinked and found himself staring up at Kenma as he lay on his back. Nishinoya’s hands were around his, sparking as he kept Hinata’s fingers still.

“What happened?” Hinata asked though he had a vague notion already.

Kenma let out a sigh. “Again.” Was all he said.

Nishinoya released his hands, allowing Hinata to sit up. The rest of the group were watching him, Akaashi had remained asleep but Hinata could sense Kuroo’s gaze on him.

“So,” Kenma murmured “any new words of wisdom?”

Hinata scratched the back of his head. “Uh…there was no mountain this time?”

Kenma made a gesture for Hinata to continue.

“There was just lighting and blizzards and fire and a bird in the fire—”

“Hold up.” Suga stopped him. “A bird in the fire?”

Hinata nodded. “It screeched.” Glances were exchanged before Hinata got the idea he needed to explain more. “The voice…it was saying ‘they’, ‘they won't wait’, ‘they won’t take pity’…”

“House Oikawa,” Moniwa uttered. “It’s saying House Oikawa won’t take pity.”

“And it was saying I need to guide him…but to where?” Hinata held his hands in front of him, the friction burns evident once more. Lev pushed himself between Hinata’s hands, chirping quietly until Hinata gave in and scratched his ears.

There was a collective sigh. Kenma patted Hinata’s shoulder in reassurance. “Well, I say we sleep on it. Maybe you’ll get some more answers in your sleep, without the threat of burning down the castle.”

Hinata laughed nervously, casting his eyes to the brazier that was still lit. The flames danced as if nothing had happened, but if he watched them too closely, he could almost see the fiery bird once more.

 

* * *

 

 

Yamaguchi paced the throne room. His footsteps echoed off the stone floor, making him feel small in the cavernous room. The wind whistled through the gaps in the shutters, a chill was in the early morning air. The sound of someone else’s footsteps made him swallow.

“You ready?” Akaashi asked quietly.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Yamaguchi murmured, clocking that Akaashi was alone. “No-one coming with you?”

Akaashi shook his head. “It would be too easy for them to interfere. I’ll have to explain myself to them later, Kuroo will probably think I’m being reckless.”

Yamaguchi gave him a sad smile. “He cares about you. As they all do. Are you sure this is something you want to do?”

Akaashi’s eyes went to the throne, the seat of power was barely visible in the gloom but the shadow was enough to give him an uncomfortable feeling.

“If anything, it’s my duty to.” Akaashi replied. “Tsukishima and I are different people but we do share one thing in common; our abilities. If I can use mine to fix the harm he’s done, then I should.”

With nothing more to say, Yamaguchi beckoned Akaashi to follow him. They walked to Inuoka’s chambers where Kyoutani was waiting for them. A nod of understanding was exchanged as Akaashi glanced over the notes. There wasn’t much to the plan, Yamaguchi was going to go in alone to talk to Tobio and once he had gotten the other to accept Akaashi’s help, Kyoutani and Inuoka were going to bring him in. Asahi was the wild card in that they weren’t sure how he’d react, thus needing Kyoutani and Inuoka present in order to overrule any objections.

“If he kicks off,” Kyoutani murmured “you know Asahi is going to intervene.”

Yamaguchi nodded. “Let’s hope that Asahi can be reasoned with.”

“I really don’t want to have to call Aoi.” Kyoutani murmured, glancing to Akaashi. “But you know if your Brotherhood decides to try and interfere she’s going to stop them.”

Akaashi swallowed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want their help, it was more that if anything did go awry, he didn’t want them caught in the crossfire. Having Kyoutani’s dragon as an over-sized guard dog wasn’t what he wanted, but it was the only sure way to stop them interrupting.

“I understand.” Akaashi nodded. “But don’t harm them, please.”

Kyoutani clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You have my word.”

Yamaguchi took a sharp inhale, locking eyes with Inuoka. “Okay. The longer we wait, the worse he’ll get.” He declared. Inuoka nodded, waving a hand over the circle in front of him. The king’s chamber shimmered into view, the glowing rune having been set up the day before. Tobio was awake and drinking tea at his table. He seemed at peace but Yamaguchi knew better.

“Gods be with you.” Inuoka nodded.

Yamaguchi nodded to each of them before stepping out of the room. He walked with confidence up the stairs and along the hallway towards the door. Asahi raised an eyebrow at him but allowed him to enter. Once inside the room, Yamaguchi let out a breath he had been holding in.

“Morning.” He smiled at Tobio.

Tobio nodded in return. “And to you. What do you want?”

The calm blue eyes could fool most people. Yamaguchi had seen the same expression many times over, and rarely was it genuine. He carefully stepped around the table, admiring the wall scrolls in turn as he paced the room. He wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.

“Where do you think Tsukishima is currently?” He asked.

Tobio hummed in thought. “They’ve probably crossed the border.”

“So…two days ride from Tanishiti?” Yamaguchi offered, pausing at the House banner. The orange dragon stared into his being, almost like Tsukishima would. “We’ll be expecting them to return in just over five days then if they push the horses?”

“Yep.”

“…five days is a long time.” Yamaguchi mused, turning to look at Tobio. “He’s become quite close to you.”

Tobio set his cup down, frowning slightly. “What’s this about?”

“You know what it’s about.” Yamaguchi uttered. “This is about this stupid idea to challenge Tooru to a war.”

“It’s not stupid.” Tobio replied. “They destroyed our home.”

“But it’s not _your_ idea is it?”

No reaction. Yamaguchi sighed.

“Hinata came to speak to you yesterday. He was asking you about the griffins but he slipped up didn’t he?”

Tobio shut his eyes, breathing heavily.

“He mentioned that Tsukishima gets into people’s heads, didn’t he?”

Tobio let out a low whistle, hands clenching into fists on the table. Yamaguchi paced over to the window that was shut tight. The cold wind pressed against the shutters making them rattle slightly. He blinked slowly before wheeling around abruptly.

“Dammit Tobio!” He snapped. “Don’t ignore me.”

“You’re being ridiculous.” Tobio hissed.

“Hinata told me everything, he told me that Tsukishima makes you see everything. He makes you see it daily. You’ve watched them die more times than you can count haven’t you? You’ve got it memorised, you know the faces of those who killed them. You know what their last moments were.”

Tobio’s eyes flew open at the outburst. He rose to his feet, the calmness gone from his eyes and replaced with fury. “You shut the hell up!”

Yamaguchi let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’m right. You know I’m right. You know how I know all of that? Because he made me see it too!” Yamaguchi stepped closer to Tobio, willing himself not to burst into tears. His chest ached as he saw the hatred building, the gritted teeth, clenched fists at his side. “I told them I had seen him murder bandits…but really I saw the same thing you have. They were slaughtered in the same throne room you sit in—”

“Shut up.” Tobio shoved him. “Shut up!”

“No!”

“Tadashi Yamaguchi as your king I demand you shut up!” Tobio snapped.

“And as your _friend_ I demand that you listen to me!”

The window shutters creaked as the wind strengthened outside. They held each other’s gaze for a split second before Yamaguchi continued.

“He’s used you Tobio.” He murmured. “You know that now surely?”

“You don’t know—”

“Listen,” He pleaded “you can admit it. It doesn’t make you weak. It doesn’t make you a bad king.”

Tobio waved dismissively, shaking his head as he rubbed his face. “You don’t know…”

“Then tell me Tobio. I’m here,” Yamaguchi brought his closed fist over his chest “remember the oath I swore? I said I’d be here for you through everything— let me be here for you now.”

He watched as Tobio turned away from him, shaking his head again. For a few moments, Yamaguchi let the silence fall. The air felt heavy, the only obvious sound was the wind outside. Tobio’s shoulders trembled as he continued avoiding looking at Yamaguchi, the heavy breathing becoming ragged.

“He laughed when I told him to stop,” Tobio uttered, still facing away from Yamaguchi. “When I told him that he was committing treason with his actions, he told me he’d done that plenty of times already.”

Yamaguchi swallowed, watching as Tobio moved to sit on his bed. He toyed with the family ring as he continued.

“At first he was just showing me the moments leading up to it. At first, it was because I asked. But then he started slipping other things in there.”

Tobio slipped off the family ring, running his thumb over the engraved symbols. “He started doing it as I slept. I was defenceless.”

“Oh Tobio…” Yamaguchi said, stepping up to the bed and sitting down next to him. “Why didn’t you tell one of us?”

Tobio let out a heavy sigh. “Because that would mean I lost.”

“How could you lose a game you didn’t know you were playing?” Yamaguchi asked.

Tobio snorted. It wasn’t like Hinata hadn’t said something similar the day before or anything. He closed his hand around the family ring, feeling the stone cut into his hand.

“A king should be strong for his kingdom, no matter what happens.” He whispered. “My grandfather was a firm believer that kingdoms rest on the shoulders of their leaders, and if their leader falls then so does the kingdom. It was one of the few things our House agreed with Oikawa on.  
Tadashi, I’ve fallen, and so has my kingdom. By all accounts, I’ve failed my grandfather. I can still see his face as the sword was thrust through his chest—”

There was a hoarseness to Tobio’s voice as he clenched his fist. His knuckles whitened as his fist trembled. A gentle touch made him freeze, a warmth surrounded his hand as Yamaguchi took it in his. Slow, soft movements coaxed him to open his hand. The ring was taken and slipped back on his finger.

“Tobio,” he whispered back “you have not failed him.”

“I have.”

“No. You haven’t.”

There was a scoff. “Our kingdom is in ruins…she has no people and only a lonely king on her throne.”

“He’s not lonely.” Yamaguchi squeezed his hand. “He has his best friend.” He smiled as Tobio glanced at him. “He also has the last surviving court mage, his oath-bound guardsman, a dragon tamer of the north…”

“That’s still only four people.” Tobio shook his head. “Four people Tooru won’t hesitate to kill.”

Yamaguchi squeezed his hand again. “But four people nonetheless. Four people who have sworn to stand by you. Four people who want to help you through this. Four people who despise Tsukishima.”

There was a grimace, Tobio hissed as he brought a hand to his forehead. “That…name just makes my head hurt…it’s like it summons those fucking—”

Yamaguchi saw the opportunity. “We can get rid of them.”

“H-How? How could you possibly get rid of them?”

“…the Brotherhood have a guy.” Yamaguchi was aware of how poorly Tobio reacted last time to the suggestion. “He’s willing to take them from you. To release Tsukishima’s hold on you. But you need to trust him.”

A few moments went by as Tobio hissed through the pain, his forehead creasing as he winced and grimaced. He squeezed Yamaguchi’s hand.

“…stay…stay with me.” He uttered. “I don’t want to be alone with a mage like that.”

“Of course. I’ll stay.” Yamaguchi quickly replied. “I promise, I’ll stay with you Tobio.”

“Good. Get him I-I can’t deal with this, my head feels like it’s splitting.”

Yamaguchi didn’t need to leave Tobio’s side before Akaashi walked in of his own accord. Raised voices could be heard from the hallway, but the door was firmly closed, sealing everyone else out. Akaashi nodded in greeting, slowly stepping toward the bed.

“Your majesty.” He bowed.

“Can you make it stop?” Tobio asked immediately through gritted teeth.

Akaashi nodded. “I can. But I need you to—”

“I’ll do whatever. Just make it stop dammit.”

With a heavy sigh, Akaashi selected two floor pillows, placing them directly across from one another on the floor. He knelt down on one and gestured to the other across from him. Tobio cautiously mirrored his stance, still clutching Yamaguchi’s hand. It was the first time Akaashi got a good look at the other; blue eyes pooled with fear and just meeting his gaze gave Akaashi a sense of impending pain.

“Breathe.” Akaashi stated calmly, looking to Yamaguchi who had knelt beside Tobio. “He’s probably going to scream a lot, no matter what, don’t let him push me away. It could do more harm.”

Yamaguchi nodded, squeezing Tobio’s hand as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay, I’m here. I’m not leaving you.” He whispered to Tobio, getting a nod in reply.

Akaashi let out another heavy sigh. He cracked his fingers, flexing them. Small purple wisps drifted from his fingertips as he leaned closer, pressing two fingers to Tobio’s temples either side of his head. The pulse was loud in in ears as purple wisps slowly encircled the other’s head.

“Let me in.” He whispered, keeping his eyes fixed on Tobio’s.

_Please…please don’t…_

“It’s okay.” Akaashi replied, sensing the wall fading as he moved his fingertips in soothing circles. “You have nothing to fear.”

_I trust you_

Akaashi kept his breathing calm, his mind clear of worries. The wall faded and he got his glimpse into the chaos as he allowed his eyes to close.

_The distant screaming started, not of one person but of many. He could smell smoke in the air. The castle came into view, the orange and black banners caught the wind as smoke rose from the city below. Steel clashed in the distance, a sense of panic gripped him._

_“Tobio.” A woman’s voice called to him. A tall woman, hair black as the night sky grabbed his hand, her chainmail rattling as she pulled him close. Soldiers ran past, swords drawn at the ready. “Tobio, you need to go.”_

Akaashi sensed sorrow, the ache in his chest made him pause for a moment. He bit his lip as he watched the woman tug Tobio through the castle to the stables. A younger Asahi was waiting, nodding in understanding as she spoke to him.

_“Take him. Take him and protect him.”_

_The screaming was getting closer. The panic was rising._

_“Your highness, they’re close.”_

_The woman nodded, kneeling down to talk to Tobio. “Listen, Tobio, my son.” Her voice cracking. “You must survive. You must go—.”_

_The sound of the door bursting open preceded footsteps. A man stepped beside Tobio’s mother, his deep red armour already spattered with blood. He shook his head at her before looking down at Tobio, forcing a smile as he knelt down. The feeling of sorrow intensified as Tobio’s mother stood up and tightened a leather strap on her own armour._

_“Tobio…” He murmured, reaching out and cupping Tobio’s face. “We don’t have any more time. Asahi will take you from here as he is sworn to. Don’t look back my son, not until the mountain tells you to.”_

_He took his hand back, slipping his gauntlet off momentarily to remove a black ring. The same ring Tobio had in the present day. He forced it into his son’s hand and brought him closer to kiss his forehead. When he was released, his mother returned to hug him tightly before ushering him to let Asahi take his arm._

_Sorrow mixed with fury. Swords were unsheathed as Tobio was dragged by his guardsman towards the door. He reached out his hand, seeing the tears in his mother's eyes as she blew him a kiss before both parents took off to defend the throne._

_The trees engulfed Akaashi’s vision. Plunging him into black._

He let out a heavy breath, sensing that memory was over. Sorrow surged through him as he heard Tobio’s ragged breathing.

“It’s okay.” Yamaguchi’s soft tone eased the resistance Akaashi felt. “Just a little longer Tobio.”

Akaashi focused harder, the purple wisps emboldening.

_The clashing of steel was loud. The throne room flashed before his eyes. The banners were torn down, blood seeped into the stitching. Bodies littered the floor._

_She parried and ducked, running her sword through the iron plating. There were too many. Too many for them to stand a chance. But Tobio was safe, her son was safe. She froze as the blade appeared in her stomach. Blood coated the steel. Her lungs burned. Her eyes met his, deep blue shimmered back at her._

Akaashi heard Tobio scream.

_He roared as he lunged, taking their head off. He parried another before gutting them. He collapsed to his knees at her side. The blood was sticky, her eyes vacant as he shook her. The fury pulsed stronger as he grabbed her sword and fought soldier after soldier._

_Blades caught his armour this way and that. The plating deflecting them as best it could. His concentration lapsed for two seconds._

_Two seconds too long._

_The axe came down, bones cracked. His body slumped forward, blood spilling from his mouth. His gaze fixed on her._

There was a sick feeling dwelling in Akaashi as the scene flashed before him. The throne room distorting as the couple bled out, only sharpening as the burly older man entered the room.

_His eyes widen. His armour stained with blood. The soldier smirked as they swung their axe._

_“Give it up old man. Your time has come.”_

_He snorted, readying his sword.The mother of his grandson had been slaughtered. His son lay dead. The heartache in his chest was clouded by the anger, the fury at how it came to be. They met in the middle of the throne room, neither side giving leeway. Blood soaked their boots as they parried. The axeman was disarmed in a flurry of lunges._

_He hadn’t heard the swordsman enter._

_An arm came up around his neck, his knees were kicked out forcing him to kneel at the axe-man’s feet. He glared up at the armoured man._

_“Such a pity.” He taunted. “You kingdom has fallen quicker than we imagined it would.”_

_“A kingdom can’t fall if her leader lives on.” He grunted, feeling the point of a sword at his back between plates of his armour. “You may have killed my son and his wife. You may run a sword through me now but House Kageyama lives on. You will never conquer us. You will always fear us.”_

_The axeman raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet. “Is that right…” He snapped his fingers. The blade came through with force. His breath left him. His vision swam as the axeman moved. The orange and black banner still hung behind the throne. The dragon’s eyes watching him as he fell forward._

Darkness consumed Akaashi’s vision.

“Stop…make it stop…” Tobio’s weak voice came from the darkness. Akaashi nodded. He had a lot of experience planting memories, not so much in taking them away.

“Breathe.” Akaashi whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”

He flexed his fingertips, the throne room shifted into view. The events flashed quickly in front of him, a hiss of pain came from Tobio. Akaashi persisted. He dug deeper. He needed something pure. Something good. Something that overpowered the horror he had seen.

Bright sunlight made him pause.

_“Tobio come on!” A younger Yamaguchi called. The forests by the lake came into view. Bright flowers covered the grass. The roar of the waterfalls drowned out the sound of the bustling city._

_They scampered through the bushes, the flowers moving with them. They giggled, peering through the leaves at someone. An older boy swung an axe with speed, embedding it in the trunk of an oak tree with a grunt. The two boys watched, captivated by the power on show as the other pulled the axe free and inspected the tree._

_“He’s so cool.” Yamaguchi murmured. Tobio nodded, bright blue eyes watching the blade catch the sunlight. “He’s gonna be your guardsman one day.”_

_“Yeah…” Tobio nodded. “No-one’s gonna mess with me.”_

_Yamaguchi laughed. “You mean no-one’s gonna mess with him.”_

_Tobio scoffed, shoving Yamaguchi playfully. The other overbalanced and tumbled out of the bushes, attracting the older boy’s attention._

_“Uh, hello?” He called, setting the axe down._

_Tobio rolled his eyes as Yamaguchi stood up and apologised for intruding. He stepped out of the bush himself and got a wide-eyed look from the other._

_“P-Prince Tobio! I’m sorry! I didn’t realise you were— I mean I was just—” He stammered, bowing hastily._

_“It’s fine.” Tobio said quietly. Yamaguchi giggled, looking between the two of them._

_“Hey, you’re gonna be Tobio’s guard one day right?”_

_The other boy nodded. “Yes! Asahi Azumane your highness—”_

_“I know who you are.” Tobio smiled shyly. “I’ve…I’ve seen you practice before.”_

_Asahi swallowed. “You have?”_

_There was a wave of calm. He watched as the three youngsters talked before Yamaguchi proposed a game of tag. The afternoon went on, the sun slowly falling in the sky. The three of them laughed and joked as they played. Their titles and responsibilities not important for a few precious hours._

_As the sky turned orange with the setting sun. They sat overlooking the lake.The calmness intensified as Tobio sat between the others on a fallen tree._

_“Say Asahi,” Yamaguchi kicked the log they sat on “you have to take an oath to serve Tobio right?”_

_“Uh, yes.” Asahi nodded. “When Tobio comes of age.”_

_“Oh like Iwaizumi will for Tooru…” Tobio murmured. There was a brief flash of uncertainty before the calm returned._

_“Huh.” Yamaguchi pouted. “I don’t get to make any oaths…”_

_“Why not?” Asahi asked._

_Yamaguchi shrugged. “I don’t know. The crown princess says that friends of the prince don’t make oaths? They just…stay friends?”_

_Tobio furrowed his eyebrows. “But that’s just as important as a guard.”_

_“I know!” Yamaguchi threw his arms in the air, nearly overbalancing and falling off the log before catching himself. “I want to make an oath!”_

_“Then make one.” Tobio said bluntly. “Make one here. Asahi is our witness.”_

_“M-Me?”_

_Yamaguchi jumped to his feet with a grin. He thought for a few moments before bowing down on one knee in front of Tobio, closed fist over his chest like he had seen the guards do for the king. He cleared his throat, giggling softly before taking a more serious tone._

_“I, Tadashi Yamaguchi, do seriously swear that I will be by Tobio’s side forever as his best friend. Whether he be prince or king, I will be there for him no matter what happens. Because I’m his best friend and he is mine.”_

_“I accept.” Tobio smiled._

_Asahi clapped as Yamaguchi got back to his feet and grinned. They didn’t get to say anymore before a distant voice called for the prince to return to the castle for supper. The three of them took off at a run, scampering back through the foliage toward the city._

_There was almost a sombre feeling as Akaashi allowed the sunset to overwhelm him._

“Okay.” He breathed. “Remember this Tobio. Remember this time.” He murmured, repeating it as he brought his hands away a little, the purple wisps intertwining. “Forget the rest…just remember this.”

_“I will be by Tobio’s side forever as his best friend.”_ Yamaguchi’s voice echoed as Akaashi focused on it. _“I will be there for him.”_

“Focus on it Tobio. Remember that moment.” Akaashi told him, gently pressing the pad of his right thumb in the centre of Tobio’s forehead. “Remember those words.”

_“Because I’m his best friend and he is mine.”_

Akaashi felt the twang of fear as the throne room flashed. He pulled his left hand away abruptly. There was an outcry as his hand flared in pain. He could feel the burning in his fingertips as he held onto the wisps tightly.

“Focus Tobio.” Akaashi hissed, his right hand trembling as he felt the fear seeping into his body. “Remember his promise.”

“I do.” Tobio murmured. “I remember…”

Akaashi saw the orange sunset again. The smiles of the youngsters. The roar of the waterfalls. The calm began to come alive, a warmth sprang from the smiles, the laughter, the memory.

He opened his eyes. Bright blue eyes met his gaze. Akaashi let out a sigh, the purple wisps slowly fading before he took his hand away. His left hand was still clenched into a fist, he could feel the uneasiness in him but he smiled at the king.

“…are you—” He began before Tobio snapped his gaze to Yamaguchi, the other was still squeezing his hand and hugging him.

“Tadashi…” Tobio breathed.

Yamaguchi swallowed. “Tobio?”

The king’s breathing faltered slightly before he threw himself into the other’s embrace, clutching his shirt with his free hand. Akaashi saw it as his cue to leave, at least for a few moments.

As he stepped outside he was met with anxious looks from the rest of the staff. He nodded, a small smile on his face. Inuoka and Asahi immediately stepped into the room. Kyoutani returned the smile.

Akaashi was all set to walk back to the guild and face the fire for going off alone, but his head felt light. His vision double momentarily, getting a concerned look from Kyoutani.

“Are you okay—” He started, stepping forward in time to catch Akaashi as he fell forward. “Akaashi?”

There was no response.


	35. Fiery Protectiveness

  
**XXXIV**

**Fiery Protectiveness**

 

The familiar walls of Tanishiti came into view as the road curved. They had pushed the horses as much as they could, they had turned a five-day trip into a three day one. Kiyoko had firmly put out of her mind what would possibly be happening back in Tobu Misaki-Mura. Worrying about it here wouldn’t help in the slightest.

The trip had been quiet, void of conversation for the most part. They had been travelling at speed too often to have a conversation about what was going on and when they were resting they didn’t have anything to say in Tsukishima’s presence.

The daylight was fading, spurring them to make haste to get to Tanishiti before dusk. Hooves clattered along the paved paths on the inbound road. As they passed farm buildings and the outer lying villages, they heard confused murmurs from the people.

“Orange and black? What house is that?”

“I thought there weren’t any other kingdoms between us and the empire anymore…”

Kiyoko paid no mind, barely acknowledging them as she steered Raimei towards the entrance gate. She saw the guardsman take notice of their advancement, standing on guard and crossing their pikes across the gate. She slowed to a trot, glancing back at Tsukishima.

“You say nothing.” She uttered. “You may be a scout, but I’m leading this party.”

Tsukishima shrugged. “As you wish.”

They halted at the gate, the guards of House Oikawa seemed confused and uncertain of who they were. “State your business and your allegiance.”

Kiyoko snorted. “Tell Sir Iwaizumi that Kunimi has returned.”

The guard scowled. “I said—”

“I know exactly what you said.” Kiyoko cut in. “And I’m telling you to tell the king’s guard that Kunimi has returned.”

They opened their mouth to say something but was cut off again but the clatter of armour.

“Stand down.” Yamamoto called, walking out to see what was going on. “I’ll handle this.”

The captain glanced over the horses in their decorative garb, putting two and two together as he noted only four of the fifteen had returned.

“I guess you’ll be wanting escorting to the palace…” He nodded to Kiyoko.

“We don’t need an escort.” Kiyoko politely said. “Just tell them we’re here and we can find our own way there.”

Yamamoto didn’t seem convinced but slowly nodded. “Alright. You’re Iwaizumi’s problem now.”

They patiently waited a few moments to give the captain a chance to get the message to the palace. Kiyoko signalled for them to advance into the city. The crowds parted as they usually did when a convoy of horses moved through the city, but this time with wide eyes. The orange dragon stood out proudly on the black stitching.

“I thought that House died out?”

“That can’t be…”

“It’s the orange dragon— that _has_ to be them.”

Kunimi let out a heavy sigh as the palace came into view. Iwaizumi was stood at the gates with his hand on the hilt of his sword. He waited for all four horses to halt before addressing the situation, aware a crowd had gathered to see what was going on. He ignores the calls for an explanation from the people, merely meeting Tsukishima’s gaze.

“I trust you have a reasonable explanation for this.” He said.

“Of course, I always do.” Tsukishima replied with a smile.

Iwaizumi turned to Kiyoko. “Are you with us or them?”

Kiyoko swallowed. “Things have gotten…complicated. It’s best we talk inside.”

Iwaizumi drew his sword, a murmur passing over the crowd as he brought the tip to Kiyoko’s throat, an impressive feat considering she was still on horseback. “Off the horse.”

Tanaka and Kunimi exchanged a glance as Kiyoko didn’t move immediately. She stared down the blade, running Raimei’s reins through her fingers as she considered her options.

“Sire.” She uttered. “We are not hostile. Please lower your sword.”

“You’re part of a guild of assassins, forgive me if I’m not convinced by the words you speak.” Iwaizumi replied.

Tsukishima cleared his throat. “She’s correct though,” he remarked “we are not hostile. We are simply delivering a message.”

Iwaizumi tsked loudly. “Where are the rest of your company?”

“Not waiting in the shadows to ambush you if that’s what you’re thinking.” Tanaka quipped. “It’s just us; a scout, a swordsman and the battle maiden.”

Slowly, Iwaizumi lowered his sword. “You better explain quickly.” He uttered, signalling for the gates to be opened. “Get inside.”

Kiyoko nodded, spurring Raimei to a trot. They got more confused glances from the stablehands as they rode into the courtyard of the palace. They halted at the steps and dismounted, leaving their horses where they stood as none of the stablehands dared to approach at first. Iwaizumi led them into the palace, barely speaking as he strode with haste. The guard at the door to the throne room didn’t wait to be asked, signalling for the doors to open.

There was an essence that the knight was wary of their intentions.

“Presenting, Sir Hajime Iwaizumi, Royal Guard to the king and knight of House Oikawa, The Silver Owl Brotherhood and Kei Tsukishima of House Oikawa.”

“Well, at least they remembered who we are.” Tanaka remarked under his breath.

Tooru drummed his fingers on the armrest of his throne as they approached. He didn’t seem in the mood for sarcastic remarks as he glanced over the trio that had returned with his scout. They bowed in respect, Kiyoko meeting his steely gaze as she straightened her posture again.

“I gather,” Tooru spoke without smiling “that given only three members of your Brotherhood have returned, something has happened.”

Kiyoko nodded. “Sire—”

Tooru held up a hand to halt her. “Tsukishima, report.”

Kiyoko felt a surge of fury flare as Tsukishima smirked. “Of course,” he stepped forward and bowed again “your majesty, it’s with a certain amount of regret that I must tell you the rumours are true, Tobio Kageyama is alive.”

There was no immediate reply from the king. Iwaizumi snorted, shaking his head from where he stood at the king’s side.

“How many people does he have at his command?” Iwaizumi barked.

Tsukishima shrugged. “He has his royal guardsman, a steward and the only surviving mage from the court - the ice one to be precise.” He listed off. “There could be an armed unit somewhere but none that I saw.”

Kunimi and Tanaka exchanged a glance as Kyoutani’s existence seemed to go unmentioned. Kiyoko’s fingers twitched, her blade seemed like an attractive option to quieten the traitor beside her. She bit on her lip before clearing her throat.

“Your majesty I—”

“Quiet.” Tooru snapped. “I have no interest in what assassins have to say. You fulfilled your conditions, I have no use for you right now.”

“Does that mean I’m pardoned?” Kunimi asked, daring to ignore Tooru’s demand for silence. “I did what you wanted as you said, so am I free to go?”

Iwaizumi glared at him. “Hardly.” He uttered. “You just rode into the city on a horse wearing the colours of a rival house. If anything you’ve just made yourself more of a target.”

“Now hold on a damn second—” Tanaka couldn’t just side by idly and let this happen “we were forced to do that. Tobio wasn’t gonna let any of us leave if we didn’t!”

Kiyoko shot him a warning glance as Tooru’s eyebrows furrowed. The king hummed in thought as Iwaizumi seemed to be getting impatient.

“So,” he said, drumming his fingers again “Tobio is alive. What are his intentions?”

They couldn’t tell Tooru that Tobio intended to start a war. It simply wasn’t an option. Tsukishima opened his mouth to speak but Kiyoko beat him to the punch.

“We’re not sure.” She stated. “He wouldn’t share his full intentions with us, being outsiders and all as I’m sure you can appreciate.” She spun the tale as quickly as she could think it up. “We arrived and he immediately took us prisoner. We’ve only heard snippets of conversation your majesty.”

Tanaka quickly jumped in on the lying. “He’s kept his cards close to his chest but we’ve figured out a few things, mainly that he survived the eruption purely because he wasn’t in the city when it happened.”

“He’s mourning for his family still.” Kiyoko added, which wasn’t technically a lie. “But he’s also distrusting of everyone, only confiding those truly close to him.”

They stopped, letting Tooru mull things over. The silence was painful to endure as they waited for the king to come to some decision. Tsukishima cleared his throat when the quiet went on too long in his mind.

“If it helps, he’s given us a message to give to you.” He stated as if it was nothing.

Kiyoko and Tanaka exchanged a glance, they had forgotten that Tobio wrote a message. No-one had been privy to exactly what Tobio had written and they hadn’t been foolish enough to break the wax seal to read it for themselves.

Tooru held out his hand, prompting Tsukishima to fish the scroll out of his satchel and present it to him. They watched as the king examined the seal before breaking it and unravelling the scroll to read it. A few moments went by as Tooru’s eyes flickered over the inked words, no-one dared to speak.

“Iwaizumi.” He said as he rolled the parchment up. “Summon the war council.”

“Of course.” Iwaizumi nodded to one of the guards near the doors leading to the east wing. “You heard his majesty, summon the lords and ladies.”

Tooru held the scroll, looking over the engraving in the seal momentarily before focusing on those in front of him again.

“You three shall accompany me to Tobu Misaki-Mura.” He stated. “We will be leaving tomorrow.”

“Are we your prisoners or guests?” Kiyoko asked.

Tooru seemed to consider it for a brief moment. “Guests.” He stated. “That will be all, you are dismissed. My guards can show you to some sleeping quarters.”

He waited for the three Brotherhood members to be escorted away by the palace guards before meeting Tsukishima’s gaze.

“I trust you don’t know what’s in this letter?” He asked.

“No sir, I wasn’t privy to the details. Does something concern you?”

Tooru hummed. “Nothing that won’t become clear in a few days. You’ll accompany us back there too, in case that wasn’t obvious.”

Tsukishima nodded. “As you wish. Is there anything you require of me beforehand?”

Tooru shook his head. “Just stay away from the Brotherhood, I don’t need them prying for information.”

With another nod, Tsukishima excused himself from the throne room. Iwaizumi cleared his throat from beside Tooru.

“The council is gathering as we speak.”

“Good. Because we’re going to be needing their cooperation.” Tooru remarked, standing up from the throne and beginning the walk towards the hall they hold the war council meetings in. “Also I want Shirabu with us when we travel.”

Iwaizumi was hesitant in his reply. “Uh, well he might be busy—”

“Well make him clear his schedule.” Tooru sighed. “I need a trustworthy mage.”

“What about Tsukishima?”

Tooru halted at the door, glancing around briefly before facing Iwaizumi. His voice dropped to a hushed tone as he replied; “Tsukishima isn’t trustworthy anymore.”

The knight saw sense not to ask as they continued on their way to the war council.

 

* * *

 

 

As the morning sun rose steadily into the sky, an unspoken tension hung over the rest of the guild. Akaashi had been set down in one of the other guest quarters of Hokubujōsai, Kyoutani had taken it upon himself to take care of the other whilst Yamaguchi dealt with the repercussions of Tobio going through the ritual.

Which meant he had to sent Inuoka to tell the others what had happened, something he wished he could’ve done himself but he felt it was better for him to stay in the small room with Akaashi. It wasn’t a grand room like Tobio’s chambers, but it was laid out with the same soft straw mats that the other guest quarters were. A pile of blankets made up the bed, paper lanterns cast shadows on the walls and across the few wall scrolls that added some colour.

He had slipped open the wall panel, giving a small window into the throne room below. Which is what tipped him off to the storm that was quickly approaching.

“What the fuck do you mean he fainted?” Kuroo’s voice exploded, echoing around the vaulted ceiling of the throne room.

“Hey don’t yell at _me_.” Inuoka fired back as he led the other across the room.

Several sets of footsteps followed him, making Kyoutani sigh heavily. He watched Akaashi’s sleeping form, his chest rising and falling in a slow but steady rhythm. Physically, there weren’t any obvious injuries, but Kyoutani knew the mental toll of undoing Tsukishima’s handiwork wasn’t going to show itself.

The door slid open, Kuroo didn’t waste a second approaching Akaashi’s bedside. Suga and Moniwa stepped into the room in a calmer manner, neither of them saying anything as Kuroo took Akaashi’s hand and squeezed it.

“What happened?” He asked Kyoutani.

Kyoutani honestly didn’t know too much. He had seen the outburst from Tobio though Inuoka’s portal but after that he had been too preoccupied with keeping Asahi from bursting into the room mid-ritual.

“All I know is that the ritual he had to do was successful—”

“Yeah I bet it was.” Kuroo sneered. “So Tobio’s fine but Keiji isn’t. That’s your idea of success?”

Suga tutted, rolling his eyes. “Kuroo stop.” He stepped up and placed a hand on the other’s shoulder. “Keiji knew the risks.”

“That doesn’t make this okay Suga!” Kuroo wheeled around, standing up to stare down the other. “I was all for helping prevent a war but this is too much. Keiji shouldn’t have had to do whatever he did just because a kid on the throne couldn’t keep his own damn mage in check.”

“Then what else would you have suggested?” Suga kept his voice calm. “We had no other option.”

Kuroo scoffed. “Well why couldn’t Hinata do it? He’s been getting all these visions and shit about how he’s the only hope Tobio has. Why did Keiji have to put himself on the line when _clearly_ some other-worldly force thinks Hinata is the fucking chosen one?”

Suga wanted to slap Kuroo for the remark. Instead, he kept his calm demeanour. “Because Hinata isn’t anywhere near ready to try that kind of sorcery and you know that. Keiji knows that, which is why he went along with the plan.” Suga took half a step closer to Kuroo, the calm facade slipping. “Keiji has been carrying this hatred for his own powers along with him for weeks now. He fucking hates his powers Kuroo. Did you ever consider that maybe he wanted to do something good with them for once?”

Moniwa swallowed as Kuroo bore his gritted teeth at the other.

“I _did_ consider that.” He hissed. “I think I know my own lover.”

Suga wasn’t deterred by the act of aggression. “Then accept that he knew the risks and wanted to do this to the extent that he snuck off at the break of dawn to do it.” He uttered. “And don’t you dare tell me that you would’ve preferred Hinata getting the backlash over Keiji. Because I was under the impression you care for this Brotherhood as a whole, not just a select few.”

He didn’t give Kuroo a chance to reply before swiftly stepping back and telling Moniwa to update him if anything changed before abruptly leaving the room. He could feel the aching in his chest as he fought to breathe. His hands were shaking as he found himself leaning against the door frame of the armoury.

None of this was happening. He didn’t want to entertain the idea that he had just said any of that to Kuroo. It was unlike him to snap, to lash out verbally. He was the calm one, the one they turned to for help, the one who kept his head above water. Sinking down to sit on the floor, he hugged his legs, resting his forehead on his knees.

He hadn’t meant it to sound like Kuroo didn’t care about the Brotherhood. But the fact Kuroo seemed so jaded about how Hinata had been pointed out as some sort of ‘chosen one’ had rubbed him the wrong way. No-one had any explanation for why Hinata had been getting visions, they couldn’t be sure he had the ability to take Akaashi’s place. Not that Akaashi would’ve let Hinata take his place.

It was all so messed up. He couldn’t take back what he said.

“Koushi?” A gentle but confused voice brought him out of his thoughts. Daichi and Bokuto looked down at him in equal parts confused and concerned. “What happened?” Daichi crouched down and took his face gently, wiping away the tears that had been falling.

Suga sniffed, batting away Daichi’s hands. “I just, I said some shit to Kuroo…” He replied, averting his gaze. “Horrible shit.”

Bokuto shook his head. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”

“He was asking why Akaashi had to be the one to help Tobio when Hinata’s the one getting all these visions.” Suga wiped at his eyes. “I pretty much accused him of not treating the Brotherhood equally by that logic. That anyone having to do it and deal with the backlash was bad enough without him implying it was worse because it was Akaashi.”

The other two exchanged a glance. Bokuto sighed heavily, crouching down and resting a hand on Suga’s shoulder. “He’s scared.” He said. “He doesn’t want anything to happen to Akaashi…he was so against this idea to begin with, I’m not surprised he flipped out.”

Suga shook his head. “That doesn’t mean I should’ve said what I did to him.” He insisted. “I’m not, I had no reason to snap like that.”

There was a pause as Daichi stood up and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“Daichi—” Suga went to stop him but Bokuto’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“You need to calm down.” Bokuto told him as the other ascended the stairs. “Come on, let’s get you some air.”

Suga begrudgingly let Bokuto haul him to his feet. The morning sun on his skin felt warm even with the cool air that whipped around the mountains. Bokuto smiled slightly as he inhaled the crisp air and let out a heavy sigh.

“My pa always said that even the strongest of blades forged in the hottest of fires need to be cooled.” He remarked. “You’re a strong blade Suga, but you need to step away from the fire.”

Suga swallowed, casting his eyes out across the ruined city of Tobu Misaki-Mura. The sun was rising over the mountains, casting a warm glow over the tiled rooftops. Birds chirped around them as the distant roar of the waterfalls filled the air.

“But—”

“But nothing.” Bokuto placed his hands on Suga’s shoulders and turned him to meet his intense gaze. “Koushi, you’ve been in the depths of this fire for weeks. You need to take a step back from the heat and rest.”

Suga couldn’t pull himself away. The weakness in his chest returned as he nodded. Bokuto had somewhat expected the other to agree, but he didn’t expect the tears to start falling. He let Suga bury his face in the crook of his neck, fists clenching against his chest as the other’s body shook with silent sobs.

Bokuto glanced out at the rising sun. Knowing how the horses could be pushed if necessary, he hoped that the others were getting close to Tanishiti. He hoped that this was all going to end soon, for everyone’s sake.


	36. "I'm still here".

**XXXV**

**"I'm still here."**

 

Daichi met Kyoutani outside the guest quarters Akaashi was in. The dragon tamer seemed indifferent the argument that had just happened, merely shrugging when Daichi asked if Kuroo had taken it personally. He excused himself, stating that he ought to see how Tobio is doing, leaving Daichi to confront the situation head-on.

He closed the door quietly behind him, Kuroo was sat on the edge of the raised bed looking down at Akaashi. His hand gently stroked Akaashi’s cheek as the other slept. Moniwa was watching without speaking, mind clearly elsewhere as Daichi cleared his throat to summon Kuroo’s attention.

“I guess you’re here to tell me Suga’s right?” Kuroo remarked. “That I’m being selfish?”

Daichi clicked his tongue, folding his arms across his chest. “No, I’m actually here to say he’s wrong.”

Kuroo glanced up, scepticism in his eyes. “Uh huh. How is he wrong?”

Daichi shrugged. “How is he right?”

There was confusion in Kuroo’s expression, he shook his head dismissively, turning his attention back to Akaashi. “I don’t have the patience for mind games Daichi.”

“It’s not a game.” Daichi’s tone didn’t yield any clues as to his stance on the issue. “And I’m not about to take sides. We have bigger issues here—”

“Bigger issues.” Kuroo snorted, slowly standing up and facing Daichi. “The Blue Serpents want me dead Daichi. Don’t fucking lecture me about bigger issues.”

Daichi shook his head. “I’m not lecturing you Tetsurou. I’m here to listen.”

“Listen to what?”

“To whatever you want to say.” Daichi held his hands out either side of him. “I’m here, I’ve been here since this all erupted, I’ve been here since we started this Brotherhood.” He smiled slightly. “You stole a boat, I’m still here. You’ve killed people, I’m still here. You’ve lied and thieved, I’m still here.” He listed off, holding Kuroo’s gaze.  
“You found out you’re wanted by one of the deadliest bandit clans this realm has seen, the same ones that murdered your mother and made you do things no-one should have to do. And guess what, I’m still here Tetsurou.” He paused for a moment, letting the words hang in the air. “And I’m not about to leave you now.”

“Yeah?” Kuroo replied, his hands clenching into fists. “I said the same things to Keiji and look where it landed him.”

“He’s not dead Tetsurou,” Daichi said. “He’s just weak. He went through a lot by mage standards.”

Kuroo shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t have been him. It shouldn’t have had to be him. We have other mages.”

Moniwa cleared his throat. “An elemental mage whose sparks wouldn’t have solved anything.” He stated. “Another empath mage who specialised in warding magic and alchemy not on the scale that Tobio needed—”

“But Hinata has some kind of freakish power that could’ve done it!” Kuroo erupted. “Keiji has been through enough, he’s seen and done enough.”

Daichi could see how Suga snapped. “Tetsurou. With what we’ve seen, with what Inuoka alone has seen, of Hinata’s powers is enough of a reason to not let him do it.”

“Then what use is he?”

“Use?” Daichi’s tone lowered. “What do you mean ‘use’?”

“What has he done for us? What can he do for us?” Kuroo stuck by his convictions.

Moniwa met Daichi’s gaze for a moment before the guild leader replied; “Since when have we judged each other on what ‘uses’ we have? Since when has our Brotherhood hinged on ‘uses’?”

“Since we ended up in this fucking situation. Since our fucking lives depend on having each other’s backs Daichi.” Kuroo uttered. “Since we’ve ended up stuck in this god damn castle dealing with two bickering kings and a bandit clan looking to assassinate one of them.”

Daichi rose his voice for the first time. “And you think that looking at each member of this guild as a weapon to use is going to help that? How about you remember how you felt being viewed that way, how the Blue Serpents treated you like a solider, how they made you do things that you still regret to this day, because right now you’re being as bad as them.”

Kuroo stepped forward and grabbed the front of Daichi’s tunic with both hands, shoving him up against the wall. “Don’t you ever fucking say that I’m like them.” He hissed.

“Then stop acting like them.” Daichi replied the air in the room felt heavy as Kuroo stared him down.

“I’m not—”

“You _are_. We built this Brotherhood on a base of everyone being accepted no matter who they were or what they’d done. All we asked of them was respect for our rules. We don’t force them to steal or kill. We don’t force them to leave their families and we sure as hell don’t blackmail them into staying. We don’t force them to do anything they don’t want to do.”

Kuroo’s grip didn’t loosen so Daichi continued.

“And right now, you’re letting this one incident affect you. Yes, it sucks that Keiji got hurt. Yes, it sucks that he was the one to put himself in harm’s way. Yes, it hurt that he didn’t let you be there—”

“Shut up.”

“Cause that’s what hurts isn’t it?” Daichi found the raw nerve. “You’re upset he didn’t let you be by his side. You’re upset that he went off alone. You’re upset that he is in pain right now and you’re powerless.”

Kuroo let out a snort. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“But I’m not wrong am I?”

There was a tense silence. Moniwa wasn’t sure if he should leave or stay as Kuroo’s grip slowly loosened. Daichi reached up and patted his shoulders in reassurance as he sighed. There were no tears, just a forlorn expression. Kuroo swallowed, shaking his head.

“…I don’t…I don’t mean that, about Hinata.” He murmured. “It’s just frustrating.”

Daichi nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

“He’s clearly gifted but…” Kuroo glanced back at Akaashi. “He just wasn’t ready in time.”

“And there’s no guarantee that he would’ve been able to help.” Moniwa stated. “Aside from the visions, he’s just a hyper-gifted elemental.”

Kuroo nodded. “I’m sorry.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I thought I was calm, in regards to the Blue Serpents stuff…I thought it was behind me.”

“Hey, I’m still here.” Daichi squeezed Kuroo’s shoulders. “Through it all, I’m still here.”

“You’re too good to me.” Kuroo let out a half-hearted chuckle. “You and Keiji…you’re too good to me.”

“It’s what brothers are for.” Daichi affirmed. “And on that note, I need to go and see if Suga’s okay. He’s beating himself up over how he handled the situation.”

“Yeah…yeah I bet.” Kuroo stepped back and rubbed the back of his neck. “Tell him I don’t take any of this personally? I just…” He trailed off.

Daichi nodded. “Sure. Are you alright here with just each other?” He asked, glancing to Moniwa who nodded in return.

“Yeah.” Kuroo replied. “Maybe send Kenma along in a bit, he might be able to do something…anything…I dunno.”

The guild leader understood, taking his leave. No-one from House Kageyama’s staff had left the king’s chamber yet, but he guessed there were a lot of things that required the king’s attention now he was freed from Tsukishima’s spell. 

  
As he walked back towards the west wing of the castle, he started wondering what Tobio would’ve actually put in the letter to Tooru. If Tsukishima had a part in it then they could expect a military response, one that his Brotherhood was not equipped for in the slightest. However, if Tobio had written it all himself, unaffected by the mage’s influence, then who knew what he had asked of Tooru.

For all Daichi knew, Tooru could kill Tsukishima where he stood for actively deceiving not one but two kings. Not that he had an issue with that, but if the royal houses didn’t kill him, Daichi had no quarrel with getting his own hands bloodied.

 

* * *

 

 

He had spent three days preparing for this. His library had been exhausted of any and all reference to the taboo art of contacting the dead. Being a court mage had its advantages he supposed, there were few other mages who could have such detailed tomes on the matter and not face execution. Even better for him, he had been asked by the king’s guard specifically to do it.

Shirabu had received the written decree signed off by Iwaizumi giving him reason to be in the crypts below the palace. Now all that remained was gathering the ingredients. For such a ritual he did not need an elaborate array of herbs, just three. The real magic would be in the circle he drew and the words he uttered.

He shoved what he needed into his satchel and grabbed the written decree off the table. No-one questioned him as he ventured through the castle. The doors to the crypt were rarely guarded, but sometimes the priests would be conducting cleansing rituals. He couldn’t have anyone in the crypt with him when he conjured the magic of old. Thankfully the dark tunnels were empty of living beings.

He hadn’t made a habit of lurking in the crypts before. He had been shown around the castle by Yamamoto when he first arrived and the captain of the guards hadn’t wanted to dwell too much in the hallowed resting place of kings and queens gone by. He knew enough though.

The stone steps led him down into the darkness. He grabbed a torch from a wall sconce, snapping his fingers to ignite a small ember to set the cloth alight. Flames danced frantically as they caught before soothing, waving slowly as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The braziers that would’ve lit the way were nothing but cauldrons with piles of ash within them, leaving him with only the single torch to navigate through the tunnels.

With his pulse in his ears, he slowly walked down the main tunnel, ignoring the first few alcoves that held the remains of rulers from centuries ago. His footsteps echoed back to him. He was by no means a cowardly person, but only one other person knew he’d be down here, if anything went awry he would have to hope Iwaizumi would come looking for him.

The flames of his torch licked the air, cobwebs dangled from above, across archways, covering the graves of those who lined the tunnel. He paused a few times to read the plaques, his curiosity getting the better of him. He discovered it was not only the rulers and their families buried here, but warlords and generals. He noted many different royal houses, some of whom were still around but far out of reach of the throne. House Oikawa’s Phoenix was apparent on many of the warlords’ plaques, something Shirabu found interesting. He was under the impression Tooru was the most recent in a long line of kings, he hadn’t considered that the royal house would’ve been nothing more than a rich noble family a few generations ago.

When the Phoenix vanished from the plaques, he raised an eyebrow. The new symbol that took pride of place changed from grave to grave, finally establishing a pattern. A white dog took centre stage on several graves, each of them warlords lining the tunnel before a larger, more decorated grave sat across the end of the tunnel, splitting it into two different paths.

A larger coat of arms hung above the queen’s final resting place. The white dog caught his torchlight, illuminating the yellow stripe behind it. Shirabu knew he had a job to do but something about the prevalence of the white dog irked him. He stepped up to the queen’s grave, her stone depiction had her holding a sword, a coat of furs wrapped around her shoulders as if she lived in a time when it snowed more often than the present. Her face was young, but not like a teenager, more like a woman blessed with good looks.

He took a step back to read the plaque;

_'Her Royal Highness Queen Wakana of House'_ — the royal house’s name had been erased in anger, the letters not legible in the slightest even if Shirabu squinted. He continued reading; ' _ruler of the southwestern realm, uniter of the northern clans, mother of the hounds of the frost. Slain in the revolt of the new age. May she rest in peace with her fore-mothers.'_

This was the first he had heard of someone uniting the northern clans. No-one had mentioned anything of the sort in his home or this kingdom. He shook his head, the fact her royal house had been erased said a lot, that one of her successors didn’t want her family to have any claims to the throne. It seemed like something House Oikawa would do.

He glanced down each of the tunnels that split off. One was carved out ready for the next few generations of graves, the other had two of note, one that he was looking for. The red phoenix stood out proudly above the grave of Tooru’s grandfather. A man who Shirabu had heard a great deal about, mostly his blood-thirsty ways and hunger for conquering new lands. There had been many battles fought under his command, most on the northern borders. He opposed the Empire, seeing them as a threat to his own claim to the land.

Shirabu almost found it insulting how he had caused so much bloodshed and in the end died of old age.

He moved on, not wanting to dwell on contacting that particular ruler. The more recent death to rock House Oikawa had been the prime reason for his summoning to court. He hadn’t heard much about Tooru’s father, he was a lot less infamous. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t any better as a ruler. All Shirabu knew was that he struggled with the size of the kingdom, the new regions to the east that had been acquired after the eruption. He had left it in a bit of a mess - to put it mildly - when he died, leaving Tooru to pick up the pieces.

He sighed heavily, setting the torch in an empty wall sconce. He slowly unpacked his satchel, the chalk, herbs and gold coins as an offering. Unfolding the piece of parchment he had his notes on, he drew the circle that would begin the ritual. Within the outer circle, he drew three half-moon shapes, leaving space between the curve and the outer circle's outline for the runes he needed to draw. Once the three half moons were drawn, he connected them with a single line, forming an inner circle.

He took a moment to examine his work. If one line wasn’t connected properly, there would be a big problem. Satisfied with his sealed circle, he took to drawing the simple rune assigned to each half-moon; the lower left was assigned the upward facing arrow - the rune of the warrior, the lower right was given the diamond with the two bottom strokes extending past the point they meet - the rune of separation. The final half moon at the top of the circle was given the sloping ‘F’ - the rune of messages and signals.

On their own, the three could mean many other things than what his tomes told him. But when he put them together with the final rune and the herbs necessary, he would get the summoning circle he needed. He took the time to place the herbs in their respective spaces between the half moons; wood ear mushroom, peppermint and hemlock root. Each had their own alchemical properties but they would act as a delicate balance to keep the spirit from escaping.

With the circle almost complete, he picked up the chalk and drew the final rune in the centre; a thick circle with a trio of smaller circles within it. The symbol of death.

He stood up from the circle, examining it again for any breaks in the lines. With his paranoia eased, he clapped his hands together and cleared his mind.

“Here me ancient ones,” He stated, his voice echoing through the tunnels “I invoke my right as the court mage of House Oikawa to call upon the spirit of Hayato Oikawa for guidance.”

The circle began glowing a pale green. He kept his mind clear as the mist began to form within the circle. Fear was trying to grip him, but he had faith in his abilities.

“I do not have ill intentions.” He stated as the mist began to rise up and take a vaguely human form. “I merely seek guidance, your majesty.”

It was by no means a perfect copy of the late king, a more spectral form with very few defining features. The eyes were bight, ablaze with something he couldn’t put his finger one. Shirabu held its gaze as he waited.

“Speak.” The echoing voice commanded.

“I wish to ask about the one who killed you.”

The circle pulsed, the mist swirled. A chill was descending in the tunnel but Shirabu held his nerve. The hairs on his arms stood on end as the spectral form continued to stare at him.

“He tore my mind apart.” Was the response. “I do not remember his face.”

Shirabu made a mental note to add ‘wiping memories’ to the long list of crimes this supposed scout committed.

“Do you remember his name?”

“…no…”

There was an inkling of frustration mounting within Shirabu. He did not come all the way down here to get nothing. “Where did he come from?”

The mists swirled with greater intensity. Shirabu’s fingers were starting to go numb with the cold.

“The Empire.”

“Impossible.” Shirabu argued. “The Empire doesn’t let the empath mages move that freely.”

“You are wrong…”

“I think not, I come from that Empire.” Shirabu pouted, getting a little put out by this spirit. “He lied to you enough times. I read your journals. What makes you sure he wasn’t lying then?”

If the circle hadn’t been keeping the mists under control, Shirabu anticipated he would’ve been attacked for the remark. The bright eyes stared him down.

“What makes you so certain of your own truth?”

“Fine.” He uttered. “Then whilst I’m here, tell me what you know about the Blue Serpents. Your son is trying to get rid of them.”

“He will fail.”

Shirabu raised an eyebrow. “Why? Why will he fail?”

There was silence, the spectral form faltered, the mists slowing in their swirling. “Because he does not see…”

He was getting tired of this game. “Tell me in more complete sentences of the love of—”

“They are bigger than he sees. They rally behind their leader. Not since the mother of the hounds of frost have they rallied so hard.”

Shirabu’s eyes glanced at the queen’s grave. A sick feeling in his stomach started making itself known. He swallowed.

“Are you saying they’ve gotten all the northern clans to rally with them? That they’re moving as one kingdom again?”

“I failed to see, just as Tooru fails to see.”

“Yeah I get that.” Shirabu scoffed. “Give me something more to go on, I called upon you for guidance here.”

The chill in the tunnel made his breath visible. His body was shivering as he waited for a more helpful reply.

“He must fix what happened…” The ghostly voice was almost mournful. “He must gain the dragon’s trust once more.”

Dragon. Shirabu wanted to scream in frustration. “House Kageyama.”

“The same.”

“Hold on, what did you do to…” Shirabu trailed off, he was missing something. “What _really_ happened to House Kageyama?”

The mists were beginning to dissipate, he was running out of time.

“It’s up to them now.” The blazing eyes were dimming. “The dragon and the phoenix will rise together or not at all.”

The circle brightened, making Shirabu wince and shield his eyes. When he lowered his arm, the circle was empty, the torch on the wall illuminating the burnt out herbs. He stood motionless for a few moments, waiting for the feeling to return in his fingers. His mind was whirling, tumbling over itself to try and make sense of what had just happened.

From the news that the Blue Serpents were much bigger than they realised to the implication that Tooru’s father had fucked up big time, Shirabu had far too much to think about. The question was, how much of it did Iwaizumi need to know?

He quickly cleared up the mess left behind, rubbing the chalk markings away with the heel of his boot. He was itching to write all he had heard down before the details slipped his mind. With haste in his actions, he bundled everything into his satchel and made his way back down the tunnel.

As he passed the queen’s grave, he paused. Her passing must’ve plunged the northern kingdom into chaos. A chaos that hadn’t been dealt with swiftly enough. He made a note to ask Iwaizumi what he knew of this queen, for he didn’t feel an abundant need to disturb her slumber.

Not yet anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The timing of this particular chapter being uploaded is somewhat eerie as real life is imitating art right now... T_T  
> Tell your friends you love and support them, make sure they know they don't have to suffer through things alone.


	37. Challenging Loyalties

**XXXVI**

**Challenging Loyalties**

 

Tobio let out a quiet sigh. The steaming tea warmed his hands as he cradled the cup. Around him sat his trusted friends, each waiting for him to finish explaining what had been going on behind closed doors. He had recounted how Tsukishima had begun his antics under the guise of being helpful, how Tobio never asked for the gory details, how he was unable to bring himself to tell them even when Tsukishima plagued his dreams.

They had listened, barely questioning him like he expected them to. He felt he should’ve been held accountable for letting it happen, for allowing Tsukishima to have such a hold on him. Yet he was told instead that they believed him. They believed him when he said he didn’t want it to play out this way. What’s more, they were ready to carry on both serving him as king and supporting him as friends. Even Kyoutani swore that none of his actions influenced by Tsukishima could sway his loyalty.

“I truly am honoured to have such forgiving friends.” He spoke quietly, bringing the cup to his lips and glancing at each of them around the table. “It would’ve been easy for you all to abandon me.”

Yamaguchi smiled into his cup as Inuoka scoffed. “Yeah right.” The mage raised an eyebrow as he used his empty cup to gesture at Tobio. “We didn’t spend two years in the wilderness just to abandon you at the first sign of trouble when we got back here.”

“Seconded.” Asahi murmured. “Even if we weren’t sure what to do…” He set his own cup down next to Inuoka’s and allowed it to be filled. “We couldn’t just let it happen.”

“And then Tsukishima practically brought us a solution…” Kyoutani snorted, shaking his head. “You can thank us all you want, but that crazy guild is the reason you can rest easy now.”

Tobio nodded. “Speaking of which, how is he? The mage who helped me?”

Kyoutani shifted his sitting position. “Last I saw, passed out with his lover having a minor breakdown…” He shrugged. “I don’t think anyone really knew what he was taking on…the rest of the guild are fragmented at the moment too.”

“Well we should address that first and foremost.” Tobio set his cup down and poured another brew from the teapot. “And I need to see the griffins before Tooru gets here.”

Inuoka did a spit-take, spluttering slightly. “What? Tooru coming here?”

Tobio cocked his head to the side slightly. “Yes…I asked him to attend at the next possible moment.” He replied. “The letter? I told him that I’m very much alive and I wish to speak to him.”

An uneasy silence fell for a moment before Asahi cleared his throat. “Uh, well Tsukishima took that letter—”

“But he knows that if he breaks that seal, he’ll lose credibility with both me and Tooru.” Tobio smiled slightly, blowing steam from his fresh brew. “And as he has no idea what I’ve said…he has no idea that I’ve just told Tooru who he really works for.”

Yamaguchi took a long sip. “But Tooru could execute him.”

“And give me probable cause to start a war.” Tobio finished. “Tooru may be sat on the same throne as his grandfather, but I doubt he wants a war. He has no heir and his nobles are infighting. This much we do know. Plus I believe that he might grace me at least the decency to come and see me in person. Gods know I made the trip to that city far more times than he to this one.”

The group exchanged glances. No-one objected to Tobio’s thought process, merely nodding in agreement as the king drained his cup once more. He exhaled heavily, drumming his fingers on the table as he met Yamaguchi’s gaze.

“That other mage, the one who asked me about the griffins, where is he?”

Yamaguchi thought for a moment. “Probably with the main guild in the guest quarters.”

Tobio nodded. “Fetch him for me and bring him to the stables. He wanted to know about the griffins, I’ll show them to him.”

Yamaguchi nodded, rising from his seat and quickly making his way towards the guest quarters. He tried to ignore the raised voices from the room Akaashi was in, sensing the guild was a little more than ‘fragmented’ at this stage. The morning sunlight warmed the castle slowly, bright beams streaming in through the shutters that had been opened already. The storm had passed it seemed, at least for now.

He knocked twice before entering the guest quarters. The eyes of those present immediately drawing to him. He smiled as none of them said anything, not even asking about breakfast.

“Hinata, Tobio wishes to see you.” He said, not quite expecting Yaku to get so defensive.

“Uh, no.” He stated, standing up and pacing in front of Hinata. “He’s not leaving until we get some answers.”

Yamaguchi let out a small sigh but nodded. “Sure, what do you want to know?”

Yaku scowled at him. “You can start with what happened to Akaashi.” He uttered.

Without going into detail, Yamaguchi explained the impressive feat Akaashi pulled off but also how it came at a cost. A cost that no-one had anticipated would set in so quickly. Yaku didn’t seem impressed but Yamaguchi had given him what he asked for. With the rest of the guild’s leaders otherwise occupied, Yaku had seen it as his responsibility to make sure everyone else stayed safe. Yet with little reason not to allow Hinata to go with Yamaguchi, he yielded.

“Alright,” he rubbed the back of his neck “but the rest of us aren’t just gonna sit around all day. Give us something to do already.”

Yamaguchi paused for a moment in thought as Hinata got to his feet. “Of course, well there’s always firewood that needs chopping, the food stores probably need looking over…Kyoutani will no doubt be able to help you out.”

It seemed to satisfy Yaku enough for him to nod and he waved the duo off. Hinata didn’t want to ask what Tobio wanted as they walked down the stairs and took an abrupt turn to the stables. His mind kept flashing back to how the other exploded at him, how he was told he was being ridiculous, how he would never understand him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to Tobio.

As they entered the quiet stables, Hinata asked Yamaguchi if he was in trouble at all. The other chuckled and shook his head. It did little to actually ease Hinata’s worries, but he wasn’t allowed to dwell on the lack of a response. They had walked around the empty horse stalls and arrived at the large double doors that opened up to the back of the castle’s grounds. Hinata hadn’t been anywhere near them so far and it only further unnerved him. Yamaguchi opened one of the doors slowly, ushering Hinata through the gap before slipping through himself.

The strong smell of pine washed over Hinata. He hadn’t been aware of it when they arrived. It was almost like he had passed through a veil beyond the fortress. Pine needles whispered in the wind, distant bird calls came from all around them as Hinata went along with Yamaguchi’s subtle encouragement and took a few steps towards the deep woodland stretching out in front of him.

Step by step, Hinata picked his way through the first line of trees, his curiosity now getting the better of him. He could hear running water nearby like that of a sizable stream, he felt drawn to it as the gentle breeze whirled around him.

A small voice in the back of his mind told him to wait for Yamaguchi, to not wander alone in the unknown forest. However, when he turned around to look for the steward, he was nowhere to be found. He could still feel the draw of the water, almost like it was calling to him.

Snapping twigs startled him, he threw his hands up in defence but stopped short of summoning anything when he saw the other standing there. Blue eyes appeared calmer than when he last saw them, the inkling of a smile lingered on the king’s face. Tobio wasn’t wearing the royal clothes that Hinata had seen him in thus far, rather he was wearing attire much more akin to what Kunimi would wear; tighter fitting, plain fabrics that enabled him to move within the forest without fearing them catching on tree branches or the like.

He wasn’t even wearing his silver crown.

“Ah, you made it on your own.” He nodded at Hinata. “I was wondering if Tadashi had taken you straight there.”

Hinata lowered his hands, giving Tobio a confused look in return. “Where is ‘there’?”

It was Tobio’s turn to look confused as he cocked his head to one side. “You don’t know why I’ve summoned you?”

Hinata shook his head. The king didn’t say anything more, merely gesturing for Hinata to follow him deeper into the forest. Given how their last encounter ended, Hinata saw it fit to go along with whatever the king wanted this time without argument. He followed Tobio’s lead through the forest, weaving in and out of the trees in a pattern that he was not privy to understanding.

The sound of running water grew louder as they reached a small overhang. A fast running stream had carved through the ground creating a miniature ravine, the clear mountain water was cool to the touch when Hinata reached down to break the surface with his fingertips. Tobio nudged him before taking a small run up and jumping clear over the stream. He glanced back over at Hinata with a raised eyebrow, a silent challenge.

Hinata grinned before taking a similar run up and jumping the stream. Tobio didn’t wait for him to catch his breath before he set off at a jog into the woodland once more. Not wanting to be left behind, Hinata set off after him. He had forgotten about the uneasiness he had felt earlier as he followed the sure-footed king over the gnarled tree roots that crept out of the soil. More than once did Hinata lose his footing and stumble, but it only made him smile a little wider as he caught up with Tobio.

Unknown to Hinata, they had been following the stream, for when Tobio halted he was looking out over a shallow pool surrounded by trees. What immediately drew his attention was the large structure partly obscured by overgrown ivy. Water flowed out from under the stone archway and down a set of steps, darkness lay beyond it further inside the cave. An unlit lantern swung in the breeze in the apex of the archway, a faint creaking of iron chains piercing the quiet.

“Where are we?” Hinata asked quietly, breaking the silence between the two of them.

The corners of Tobio’s mouth curled into a small smile. “You wanted to know about the griffins, correct?”

There was a pause before Hinata nodded. “Is…Is that what you summoned me for?”

Tobio scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You can drop the ‘talking to a king’ thing.” He nudged Hinata before dropping down into the pool, the water barely coming up over his boots. “You asked about them, so you can meet them.” He called over his shoulder. “If you stop standing there like a statue that is.”

The sound of a splash signalled Hinata’s clumsy drop down into the pool. He hurried to catch up with Tobio, sticking close to the other as he walked up the steps and paused under the archway.

Hinata watched as Tobio closed his eyes and removed the ring from his finger. The black band seemed ordinary at first until Hinata noted the bright red gem and silver lettering engraved in it. Tobio held the ring between his finger and thumb tightly before crouching down and submerging it in the water that trickled out of the cave. Above them the lantern flickered into life, a bright blue flame igniting as it swung back and forth.

The wind around them strengthened. Pine needles rustled louder as Tobio stood up and slipped his ring back on. From within the cave, a dim blue glow began emanating but Tobio turned away from it, casting his eyes around the pool and the trees bordering it.

“What’s in the cave?” Hinata asked quietly.

“Their nest.” Tobio replied in an equally hushed tone. “Only fools trespass in a creature’s nest. They’ll meet us out here.”

Hinata glanced around the area, he didn’t know what he was looking for but didn’t want to stare at Tobio the entire time either. He wasn’t sure how long they were waiting, but the striking of hooves against pebbles spooked him. He stepped behind Tobio as his eyes fixed on the creature making its way towards them from across the pool.

At first glance, the creature seemed horse-like in nature. The powerful hoofed legs moved much like the guild horses, but it was the rest of the creature that threw Hinata off. Large wings started from it’s back and were made up of green feathers as they were folded against the scaly grey body. The head appeared more cat-like and was surrounded by a mane of faintly blue fur that carried on towards the creature’s underbelly and was paired with a long sweeping tail of the same colour. Small black spots littered the creature’s face as yellow eyes regarded them with little to no emotion, blinking slowly as the golden hooves dipped in and out of the water. Most striking of all to Hinata were the large antlers springing from its head, forking out and sure to hurt if one was to be headbutted with them.

As the creature neared Tobio, it halted, wings shifting and fur getting swept up in the breeze. Tobio nodded in greeting and the creature lowered its head in return, bending one of its front legs in a gesture similar to a one-kneed bow.

“I thank you for heeding my call.” Tobio murmured. “I trust all is well.”

Hinata didn’t hear a response, the wind swirled around them as the creature rose to its full height again.

“Of course.” Tobio spoke, glancing to Hinata. “She asks if you would like to meet the rest of the herd.”

Hinata had many questions. “Uh, sure—I mean how do you know that? It—I mean she didn’t say anything?”

Tobio blinked at him. “If you say so.” He shrugged, turning back to the creature. “Call them forth, I will explain everything to him in due course.”

Hinata watched as the creature stepped back a little, the water rippling in response. She threw her head back, her wings outstretching to steady herself, and let out a long, low screech like that of a stag. Her call echoed through the trees. Hinata glanced around the clearing, sure enough more of them began to emerge from the forest, each moving as elegantly and silently as the first. He noted the slight differences in their fur colours, some were darker blues whereas others were more like striking purples. There were seven in total, each pausing around the edge of the pool and nodding in greeting to Tobio.

“These,” He spoke softly “are the guardians of Hokubujōsai and the land it sits on.” He glanced up at the lantern still shining brightly.

“The griffins?” Hinata clarified, his eyes wide as he took in each of them.

“We refer to them as that, but my forefathers had a different name for them. Inuoka hasn’t been able to decipher it fully.”

Hinata nodded. “They’re so pretty…”

Tobio chuckled. “They are graceful creatures, yes. If it wasn’t for them, my family wouldn’t have been able to establish a kingdom here.”

“Why?”

Tobio gestured to the griffin still stood in front of them, she nodded before stepping to the side of the pool. A fallen tree trunk lay in the undergrowth, moss was the only thing trying to grow on it. Hinata watched as the griffin touched the tip of her antler to the rotting wood. A bright blue light sprang forth from the dead plant before fading quickly and revealing the beginning sprouts of fungi.

“They guard this land,” Tobio explained as the fungi began taking on a blue glow of its own “but they also nurture it.”

The blue mushrooms grew brighter. Hinata still had many questions but there was a giddiness within him as the excitement of seeing such powerful magic on show sparked.

“Why aren’t they your House’s sigil then? Why did you pick a dragon?” Hinata asked looking around the gathered herd. “They’re much more impressive.”

Tobio snorted. “Yes, but the animals on House banners are usually trained for war.” He slowly walked down the steps towards the lead griffin. She bowed her head to allow him to pet her. “These are peaceful creatures that give life rather than take it.”

“Would you ask them to help you in a war though?”

There was a pause as Tobio gently ran his fingers through the soft mane, the blue strands contrasting against his skin. “They don’t serve my House, therefore I cannot ask them to do such a thing. But if they were to offer, I wouldn’t want them in the line of fire. No-one should be forced into a war, not even those of us who take oaths.”

“I agree.” Hinata nodded, getting a slightly surprised look form Tobio, prompting him to continue. “…people seem to think wars solve problems…but really it just creates more of them. I wouldn’t ever be able to take an oath to go to battle like that, not knowing if what I’m doing is going to actually help or not.”

He was startled by a chorus of noises from the griffins around the pool, the stomping of hooves and low grunts echoed through the trees. Tobio chuckled as the lead griffin reared up on her hind quarters briefly before turning and staring directly at Hinata.

“What…” Hinata murmured.

“They reckon you’ve got a pure heart.” He folded his arms across his chest. “That the realm needs more people who think like you.”

“M-Me?!”

Tobio laughed. “Apparently. I’m just telling you what they think.” He shrugged. “Make of it what you will.”

Hinata smiled, nodding to the griffin and Tobio in turn. He cautiously stepped closer and held out his hand. The griffin stepped into his touch, pressing her nose to his palm in a gentle movement. There was a strange warmth left in his palm as she stepped back, her gaze meeting his.

“You are destined for good things.” The calm voice whispered in his mind. “Let the magic flow through you.”

“What magic?” He murmured, getting a slightly puzzled look from Tobio.

There was a slow nod. “You’ll know when the time comes.”

Hinata accepted that things were destined to remain cryptic for a while. Between the visions and now the griffins, he was beginning to think there was something a little different about this kingdom’s land.

Tobio clicked his teeth, glancing back at the swinging lantern. “They need to go.”

Hinata nodded, withdrawing his hand. Tobio waited for the griffin to bow before bowing his head in return.

“Thank-you again for heeding my call,” He said, glancing around the herd “all of you. Go in peace until I call you again.”

They watched as the herd nodded and moved silently back into the depths of the forest. Hinata had questions still, but he didn’t feel the need to ask as Tobio nodded for him to begin walking back to the castle.

 

* * *

 

 

“This is bullshit.” Tanaka cussed, sitting on the edge of one of the beds.

The guest quarters of House Oikawa were much more ornate than House Kageyama. The beds were on solid oak frames, drapes covered the windows, a small fireplace provided light and warmth between two of the four beds. Kiyoko paced the space between the ends of the beds, she hadn’t relaxed since arriving, her katana still at her side even as Tanaka and Kunimi flopped down on the beds.

“We’re alive. We should be thankful for that.” Kunimi replied.

“For now.” Kiyoko murmured, pausing for a moment. “His tone has changed so who can be sure what his intentions are.”

“I wanna know what Tobio said to him in that letter.” Kunimi sighed, laying back on the soft covers. “Whatever it was didn’t please him.”

Kiyoko shook her head. “He could’ve been acting. Keeping a poker face can keep you alive a lot longer in courts than wearing your emotions on show.”

They fell into silence for a few moments. They’d be leaving at dawn to make the return journey to Tobu Misaki-Mura. What happened once they got there was beyond any of their guesses. It hinged on what Tobio had written and how Tooru wanted to react. But they couldn’t wait to be caught out again. Being caught out by Tobio being alive was bad enough, but Kiyoko was adamant she wouldn’t be blindsided by another king.

Even if part of her was still loyal to him.

She let out a sigh before turning abruptly and leaving the room. Technically they were supposed to remain there. Technically walking the halls of the castle unattended was a crime. Technically Kiyoko had broken a lot of laws already so one more wouldn’t hurt.

And how was she supposed to know the room she walked into was the same one Tooru held his war council meetings?

She was greeted by the council looking at her, their expressions of confusion and outright scorn making her blood boil. These were the people that Tooru was potentially ordering into war.

“Who is that?” one barked, his grey beard shifting as his eyebrows furrowed.

Tooru opened his mouth to speak but another lord spoke up.

“Who cares, she’s not of importance Lord Honjou. We have bigger issues than a recruit for the royal guard.”

“With all due respect Makino, she’s got a sword.” He argued back.

“Quiet!” Tooru barked, silencing all of them. “Hajime, deal with her.”

Iwaizumi curtly nodded before striding over to Kiyoko and taking her roughly by the arm. He forced her back out into the hallway and slammed the door behind him before releasing her.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He hissed.

“Oh I thought I was a guest here.” She hissed back. “How was I supposed to know he was holding a council there? There wasn’t exactly a door sign or even a guard!”

Iwaizumi snorted. “Shows how much etiquette you have.”

Kiyoko’s hand flew to her hilt and her blade was drawn before she properly thought about it. Iwaizumi wasted no time in drawing his own.

“Think very carefully,” he grunted, “your next action might be your last.”

Kiyoko snorted, not taking a step back. “For your information, I had no intention of interrupting.”

“Then why come armed?” Iwaizumi didn’t move.

“I don’t leave my blade behind. She’s saved my life more times then I can count. She’s saved the lives of those I defend. Much like your sword would save Tooru’s.”

Iwaizumi’s gaze narrowed. “What would you know about that? You’re not loyal to anything or anyone but yourself. You’re lucky he has a soft spot for you, I would’ve had you cast out as a traitor for that stunt you pulled earlier.”

“A traitor?” Kiyoko repeated, adjusting her grip. “Me? A traitor of the House? I’ve done nothing but serve the House’s intentions.”

He shook his head. “You’re living a lie of several years ago, before you disappeared on us.”

Their swords clinked together, steel scraping against steel.

“It was not my choice.” She said through gritted teeth, focusing on his gaze. The kindness that she knew he could show was long gone. “I had no say. I wanted to remain and fulfil my duty.”

“Instead you spit on it now.” He uttered. “You may have been a candidate for my job, but since then you’ve allied with a guild of assassins and thieves. You’ve caused chaos across the kingdom with them in some vague attempt to kill the serpents. And when we gave you a chance to redeem yourself, you ally with a rival house and have the nerve to ride back into this city wearing their colours.”

Kiyoko held her nerve. “You know of our quarrel with the Serpents?”

Iwaizumi nodded. “Tsukishima mentioned it. He told us that it’s likely your guild are only going along with this to find information about them.”

She made a mental note to strangle Tsukishima at the next opportunity.

“The only reason we went along with it was to pardon Kunimi.” She told him. “And when we got to Hokubujōsai things got complicated.”

“Of course you’d say that. Like I said earlier, forgive me if I don’t believe an assassin.”

Kiyoko took half a step back, lowering her blade. “When I disappeared, why did no-one search for me?”

The sudden change of topic confused Iwaizumi. “I don’t know? I wasn’t privy to—”

“I’ll tell you why.” She sheathed her blade. “Because Tooru’s father didn’t care about my region. Just like he didn’t care about Kitamine. Now, I’m not going to speak for his majesty, but am I right to assume he wants to do right by his people?”

Iwaizumi nodded slowly.

“Then tell him he needs to go to Hokubujōsai with an open mind. To forget what he thinks he knows. The shadow fortress holds many dark secrets and horrid truths. He won’t like what he hears, but if he wants to do right by his people, he needs to hear it.”

After a moment of consideration, Iwaizumi lowered his blade and sheathed it. He gave Kiyoko a suspicious gaze.

“Do you trust Tsukishima?” He asked.

“No.” Kiyoko replied. “The Brotherhood despises him for reasons I cannot speak on.”

Iwaizumi slowly nodded, seeming to think for a few moments as he glanced over his shoulder at the closed door. “You and the other two shall ride vanguard with me tomorrow. I want to be filled in on everything ahead of time.”

Kiyoko smiled slightly. “Well the first thing you should know is that Tsukishima forgot to mention that Tobio has a dragon tamer living in his roof.”

Iwaizumi didn’t react at first, merely sighing heavily. “Tomorrow. Now if you excuse me I need to talk to our court mage Shirabu about something I asked of him.”

Kiyoko nodded, bowing out of habit before turning to walk back to the guest quarters. It may not have been an alliance, but she could at least count her blessings that Iwaizumi seemed willing to listen, even if he didn’t wholeheartedly believe her.

 


	38. Father Figure

**XXXVII**

**Father Figure**

 

Akaashi had remained motionless for what felt like hours. Kuroo didn’t know what to think anymore as he sat on the edge of the bed, hand holding Akaashi’s. The room had been silent since Daichi left. Moniwa had retrieved his journal and was now slowly recording the latest chain of events. The scraping of charcoal on parchment had irritated Kuroo at first, but with a lack of conversation between them, he had grown to appreciate it.

He had known in his gut that this entire plan to let Akaashi read Tobio’s thoughts was a bad idea. That was before Akaashi decided to break off and do it without any of them knowing. Kuroo couldn’t figure out why he did it, and that was what was killing him inside. If Akaashi was willing to leave even him in the dark, then what else was he willing to do?

He glanced down at the other. There were no physical marks of the ritual on Akaashi’s body. If anything he looked at peace as he slept. The slow rise and fall of his chest was the only thing putting Kuroo slightly at ease.

“Hey Moniwa,” Kuroo broke the silence between them, slightly startling the other.

“Uh, yeah?” Moniwa eyed Kuroo with caution, given how he had acted out against both Suga and Daichi, Moniwa didn’t want to be the third person he blew up at.

“…with the kinda thing Keiji did, what are the possible uh side effects?”

Moniwa glanced at his journal, mulling over his thoughts before replying. “He might wake up confused. Memory loss wouldn’t be that surprising either.” He swallowed, meeting Kuroo’s gaze again. “He might be different. We don’t know what he saw or what Tsukishima could’ve…” he trailed off. “He might not be the same Keiji.”

Kuroo nodded, not replying verbally as he squeezed Akaashi’s hand.

“That’s the worst-case scenario.” Moniwa added. “It’s possible he’ll be fine with some rest and a full meal.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo let out a sigh “I hope that’s the case.”

The quiet returned. There wasn’t anything Kuroo could do. He knew that forcing a mage to wake up whilst in this state could have dire consequences. He wanted to do something. He wanted to fix something for once instead of running away from the problem.

He squeezed Akaashi’s hand again, running his thumb over the other’s knuckles.

He started thinking of what to do once Akaashi woke up. The guild was in disarray with everything that had been said and done. He needed to apologise to Suga and Daichi, heck he probably needed to apologise to everyone for one reason or another. Then there was dealing with Tobio and the chaos that he had shoved into their hands.

Kuroo saw a lot of himself in Tobio. The anxiety to prove himself, the loneliness that came with being an orphan and an only child, the responsibilities on his shoulders feeling heavier by the day. There was something else though that reminded Kuroo of himself when he looked at the young king; the desire to fix things. They may have been born into different lives, different classes, different situations but they shared the same experience of having everything they loved ripped away by someone else and feeling as if they’re responsible for it.

They both wanted to set things right, not just for themselves, but for those they lost and those who stand beside them still.

However, Kuroo knew all too well that bringing any of that up was sure to pour salt into the wound. Tobio seemed freshly scorned and given how Tsukishima treated him, Kuroo didn’t blame the kid. If Tobio wanted to talk things out with Tooru though, he’d have to be prepared to let it go. To accept that it happened, that his family is dead because of Tooru’s, would be a big ask of anyone.

Kuroo wasn’t sure if he’d be able to do the same when the time comes. When he comes face to face with the one who robbed him of his innocence would he be able to accept that what’s done is done and more bloodshed wouldn’t fix it? He honestly didn’t know.

As his thoughts continued to tumble, Moniwa slipped out of the room without a word. He was so wrapped up in his musings that the sharp squeeze to his hand startled him. Akaashi’s eyelids fluttered but didn’t open immediately, his lips parted in a light exhale.

“Keiji?” He murmured, cradling the other’s hand in his. “Can you hear me?”

Slowly, Akaashi’s eyes opened. He blinked a few times before swallowing. “I hear you.” He breathed.

Mindful of what Moniwa had said, Kuroo simply smiled back. “How are you feeling?”

Akaashi met his gaze, eyes yielding no clues to his thought process. Kuroo half expected to feel the familiar sensation of the other projecting words into his mind but there was nothing.

“…is Tobio okay?” Akaashi asked.

Kuroo shrugged. “I think so? No-one’s told me otherwise.” He noted the reluctance to talk about his own state and decided to press further. “But what about you?”

“I’m alive.” Akaashi replied. “It’s a start.”

There were several questions that Kuroo wanted to ask, most revolving around what Akaashi actually saw but he sensed that opening that can of worms wouldn’t be ideal.

“Okay. Well I’ll go and tell the others—” Kuroo went to stand up but found himself being pulled back down. Akaashi abruptly sat up and clung to his shirt, burying his face in the crook of Kuroo’s neck.

“Don’t.” He breathed. “Don’t leave me.”

Kuroo was confused but nodded before wrapping his arms around Akaashi and humming in reply; “I won’t.”

After a ragged breath, Akaashi continued, “I don’t want to be alone. I saw too much.”

“Too much…” Kuroo repeated.

“Blood. Death. Destruction.” Akaashi listed off, hands tightening into fists. “I took the memory, I took it from Tobio and...” he trailed off momentarily “Tetsurou please don’t leave me alone.”

Kuroo didn’t need to be asked again. He pressed a kiss to Akaashi’s forehead before moving to sit on the bed in a way that made it easier to hold the other. The guild could wait a while longer to hear from them.

 

* * *

 

 

When Hinata returned to his brothers babbling about strange creatures in the forest, it was no surprise that everyone was more than a little confused. After getting him to calm down and talk at a slower speed, he told them in more detail about the griffins that Tobio showed him and the magic they had both shown and spoken of.

“…so they said to ‘let the magic flow through you’?” Bokuto clarified. “What magic?”

Hinata shrugged. “I guess, I guess they mean to master the three elements?”

Kenma wasn’t convinced that was it in its entirety but he wasn’t going to mention that in front of everyone else. Daichi and Suga exchanged a glance but had nothing to say on the matter. Moniwa had returned and assured them all that Kuroo had calmed down now, leaving the rest of them to mull over their next move.

Daichi wanted to talk to Tobio himself. Hinata had painted the king as a good-natured soul now that Akaashi had done the ritual, so Daichi was very interested to see it for himself.

“Where’s Tobio right now?” He asked Hinata. “After you got back from the forest, where did he go?”

“Uhm,” Hinata scratched his head “the armoury?”

It seemed odd, but Daichi wasn’t going to question it. “I’ll be back soon,” he told them all “and Kenma, can you go and check on Kuroo and Akaashi soon? When Akaashi wakes up he might need some poultice to ease some of his pain.”

Kenma nodded in understanding as Daichi turned to the door. He made his way to the armoury but found no-one. He ran into Asahi who also seemed to be looking for the king, their last encounter didn’t appear to affect how the guard treated him. The two of them searched most of the east wing but found no sign of Tobio.

“Ah, wait.” Asahi stopped abruptly in the hallway, prompting Daichi to halt. “The brazier.”

“The brazier?” Daichi repeated.

Asahi nodded. “He’s not gone to it in a while, so he’s probably there.”

Not getting any more clues out of the guard, Daichi simply followed him down to the ground floor. He was taken past the armoury and out onto the sheltered walkway that led to one of the two towers that flanked the main entrance. From the open walkway, he saw the brazier that Asahi was talking about. They had passed the small pond on their way in but hadn’t given it much thought, the island in the middle played residence to the large iron brazier sheltered by the tiled roof, the flames still alight despite the wind whipping around the courtyard.

Sure enough, Tobio was stood beside it.

Asahi put out an arm to stop Daichi approaching the bridge that gave access to the island. He met the guild leader’s gaze and shook his head.

“Let him be,” he murmured “it’s been a rough day.”

Daichi nodded. “What’s the significance of the brazier?”

Asahi was reluctant to reply. Daichi watched the flames dance in the wind, Tobio seemed almost in a trance as he stood still, the folds of his clothes shifting.

“It’s where we burned their bones.” Asahi’s tone was low. “Inuoka placed a rune in the coals so the fire would burn through whatever weather.”

“You cremated his family in that?” Daichi didn’t think it was big enough for a body to fit in.

“They were merely piles of bones by then.” Asahi sighed. “And it was the last tradition Tobio wanted to adhere to.”

“Tradition?”

The corners of Asahi’s mouth twitched, the flash of a sad smile passing over his features before the more stony expression returned. “Yes. The sons and daughters of House Kageyama are cremated so their spirits can join the mountain’s.” He glanced at Daichi. “Tobio knew his family would want him to fulfil the burial rites if nothing else.”

Daichi wanted to ask about this mountain spirit but decided it could wait. “So that brazier has been lit since then?”

“Yeah. Every other day Inuoka goes to it and replenishes the rune’s power by burning herbs. In a sense it’s now a cleansing flame.”

“Good to know?” Daichi wasn’t sure where this was going. Tobio abruptly turned away from the fire and began walking towards the castle. He noticed them stood there and approached them with a neutral expression.

“Anything I can help you with?” He asked, directing the question more at Daichi. At first glance, Daichi could see what Hinata meant by Tobio being ‘oddly calm’. There wasn’t a trace of the snarky and scorned king they had met a few days ago.

Daichi nodded. “I was hoping we could talk inside about what’s actually happening now?”

Tobio nodded in return. “Sure. I’ll grab Tadashi, feel free to bring whoever you wish as well.”

“Actually, I was hoping it could be more just the two of us?” Daichi didn’t particularly want anyone answering for Tobio, he wanted the king’s true thoughts on the matters at hand.

The request didn’t seem to throw Tobio off. “Sure, we can talk in my chambers then.”

Daichi Followed Tobio without a word as the king beckoned him inside once more. As he stepped into the chambers, the air felt lighter than before. The shutters were open and allowing the cool breeze into the room, the smell of the pine trees wafted in and faintly reminded Daichi of home. He expected to be served tea, as seemed the norm whenever Tobio was talking, but instead the king merely stood by the open shutters and gazed at the mountains.

“It’s a beautiful sight,” he murmured, gesturing to the largest of the mountains that loomed over them “that’s Akumanokuchi, the volcano.”

Daichi stepped up beside Tobio and looked out to where he was pointing. Beyond the thick pine forest that stretched out behind the fortress the mountains rose up from the ground and encompassed the city, each of them were capped with snow, but one gave off the feeling of being mightier than the rest and it happened to be the one which Daichi couldn’t see the peak of beyond the mist.

“That’s the one that erupted, yes?”

“Yep, though it wasn’t responsible for my family’s death like Tooru’s father claimed.”

Daichi nodded. “Speaking of which,” he turned to face Tobio fully “speaking as one leader to another, what is your grand plan for when Tooru shows up?”

Tobio’s eyes remained on the outside world. He leaned on the edge of the window, showing no inclination to talk about politics. “You want to protect your Brotherhood, correct?”

“Yeah, but to do that, I need to know what you want from us.”

There was an amused hum. “You were never part of my plans in all honesty. But now you’re here and seem willing to help, who am I to simply cast you out?”

“So what was your plan?”

“Simply put, I was always going to send Tsukishima with a letter to Tooru. I knew he had gained enough favour with the other that me declaring he’s my scout of honour would cause enough disharmony for him to be relieved of his head for treason. It would also irritate Tooru enough to bring him to my fortress doors.”

Daichi could vaguely see the logic. But the talk of war had unnerved everyone and the unpredictability of the other king was still a threat. He couldn’t just let it be forgotten that Tobio had said on multiple occasions that he wanted a war.

“And if Tooru wants a war?”

Tobio snorted. “He’s not that dumb. He has no heirs and his nobles are at each other’s throats. There’s a bandit clan running around his kingdom causing havoc and several towns and villages in the eastern regions are thinking of revolting.”

Daichi wasn’t sure how Tobio knew all of it, he doubted Tsukishima had been so helpful.

“So,” he wanted to gently pick Tobio’s brain, to see how much he had been taught about thinking up plans of action. “Let’s say Tooru doesn’t want a war, but he still wants answers. What’s your plan then?”

There was a pause, Tobio toyed with the ring on his finger as he thought. “Well I want answers too. So, in that case, I’d invite him to discuss everything.”

“Everything…being what?” Daichi pressed. “Forgive me if I seem to be intruding, but from what the others have told me about their meetings with Tooru, he’s a sucker for royal protocols. You can’t just waltz into a conversation.”

For the first time since entering the room, Tobio met Daichi’s gaze. “You sounded like my father then.” He murmured.

Daichi smiled. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

Tobio mirrored the small, albeit shyly. “Yeah,” he sighed “he was a good man.”

“I’m sure he was, I see my father the same way.” Daichi glanced out over the forest “He taught me how to read and write by himself. He taught me to never stop learning, to not turn down a chance to experience new things.”

“And running a guild of assassins is an experience I guess.” Tobio chuckled.

“It didn’t start out that way,” Daichi shrugged “it started out with just Kuroo and I working together on mercenary jobs. Bokuto and Akaashi joined us shortly after that. We didn’t turn to crime immediately, it was more of a mercenary job turned a bit more personal for the guy who hired us…”

Tobio nodded. “Plans changed after that?”

“It was easy to continue down that path, but I still maintain we only did it to survive a harsh winter. As we gained more brothers, some were more reluctant to kill than others so it was then a matter of balancing petty theft with murder. We make it work, we have each other’s backs in tough times, and for some of them, we’re the only family they have left.”

The tangent had almost made Daichi forget what he was meant to be asking about. But he didn’t have many opportunities to talk about the founding of the guild so freely. And in a way, he thought it might do Tobio some good to hear that a change in plans doesn’t always spell disaster.

“A Brotherhood that willingly goes halfway across the realm to try and secure a pardon for one person…” Tobio murmured, toying with the ring again. “Without knowing if you’d succeed, if Tooru would stay true to his word, that takes some trust.”

“Trust is earned over time.” Daichi nodded. “You have the trust of your friends, they wouldn’t still be here if you didn’t.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Tobio stepped back from the window but kept his gaze on the mountains. “And to answer your question; I’d be looking to open the discussion with Tooru by asking if he knew about the march on my family. The rest of the conversation hinges on his answer.”

“…that’s not exactly a solid plan.” Daichi didn’t want to dictate anything, but going into a heated confrontation with the mindset Tobio currently had wouldn’t end well. “What would you want him to say?”

He watched as Tobio moved away, slowly pacing the room. The wood creaked with each step, his boots loud against the hard floor. For a while, there was no reply and Daichi thought the king had no answer.

“I’d want him to say…” He trailed off for a moment as he paused and took in the wall scroll in front of him. “I want him to tell me he wanted no part of it, that his father was wrong. I want him to admit that his father robbed me of mine.”

“What would that achieve?” Daichi pressed, leaning back against the open window. “Sure, you’d be proven right, but what of your kingdom?”

Tobio shot him a confused glance. “What of…my kingdom.” He seemed to realise what Daichi was getting at.

“You’re a king.” Daichi stated, folding his arms across his chest. “Your kingdom looks to you for leadership. Your people have moved on, some by choice but some were taken by force with the border moving. Are you simply going to accept that your land has shrunk?”

Tobio shook his head. “No. No, you’re right. He owes me my land, my people.”

Daichi dared to smile a little. “Reinstating the old border would be a fair call. A gesture of goodwill on his part and a choice can be given to those forced to move. They could move back into Oikawa’s kingdom, or they could remain in yours.”

“Yeah…” Tobio met Daichi’s gaze. His eyes were bright with renewed life, a glimmer of hope shone from within them. “What else do you suggest?”

There was a chuckle from Daichi. “I think now’s the time to summon Yamaguchi. If you want me to talk you through a plan of action I’ll need Bokuto as well.”

Tobio wrinkled his nose. “Bokuto…the burly one with spiky hair?”

Daichi nodded. “Normally I’d have Kuroo or Suga, but they’re both exhausted. Plus Bokuto is a crafty soul.” He smirked. “You’d be surprised at how his mind works.”

The king appeared willing to entertain the idea. “Sure, I’ll get Asahi to fetch them both. After all, the others would’ve reached Tanishiti by now. We don’t have long.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”


	39. The Court Mages

  
**XXXVIII**

**The Court Mages**

  
Inuoka had somewhat expected to be asked about his experience in House Kageyama. It was obvious to him that the guild was confused by how things worked in terms of his position and just how much power was entrusted to him. When Nishinoya appeared at the door to his room alone, Inuoka anticipated the question before it left the other’s mouth.

“How do things work here?” He repeated back at Nishinoya. “In what sense?”

Nishinoya slid the door closed behind him. “You said you’re the only surviving mage of the court, so there were more of you?”

Inuoka nodded, setting the book he had been reading aside. “Five in total.”

“And you said you were the ice mage. So were there other elementals?”

“Oh yes. Three of us.”

“And the other two?”

“Empaths. Not unlike Akaashi in fact.” Inuoka glanced off into space almost wistfully. “They were an odd pair, twins actually. Always talking in thoughts to one another and occasionally the rest of us.”

Nishinoya nodded. “So you’ve had experience with other mages.”

Inuoka wasn’t sure what Nishinoya was getting at now. “Yes…”

The blue sparks began crackling into life between Nishinoya’s fingers. He didn’t seem to notice as he glanced around the bookshelf crammed with tomes.

“You know Hinata’s not a normal elemental mage, don’t you?” His gaze met Inuoka’s with a fiery determination. “We know he’s got something else going on, but we don’t know what.”

This had been a pleasant turn of conversation for Inuoka. He had felt the spark that followed Hinata everywhere. The runes he had placed on the guild’s route had sensed it too. He had been puzzled at first over the apparent speciality of Hinata’s powers, they were far from the limited power of an elemental like Nishinoya.

“He’s not an empath if that’s what you’re getting at.” Inuoka replied. “No, he lacks the mental connections. And he would’ve matured those powers earlier in life…not now.”

“But the visions aren’t typical of either class.” Nishinoya folded his arms across his chest, fingers still crackling.

He had to admit, the visions were throwing him off. He had studied his tomes since his first interaction with Hinata and nothing he read could provide any clues. Even the most mythical of mages hadn’t reported visions, and if they had, they certainly weren’t elementals. The only legends that spoke of such things were empath mages first and foremost, and even then they were degrading into being unhinged. Visions were a sign of madness in mages.

At least, that was what the tomes said.

“I don’t know.” Inuoka sighed, gesturing to the books on show. “None of these speak of such things. Only one even speaks of old magic like that of the griffins.”

Nishinoya hadn’t heard much about these griffins beyond what Hinata babbled about. “Let me see.”

The tome was lifted from the shelf, a heavy leather-bound book with three elemental symbols on the front. Nishinoya only barely recognised them as he set the book down on the table and flicked open to the aged pages. Inuoka guided him to the right place, the section was named ‘Beasts of the Wilderness’.

There were several sketches of winged creatures, some with heads of eagles, others with stags. The wings varied from feathers to leather-like of dragons, some had horns or antlers, some had fur, some had scales. All in all, there was a lot going on.

“Huh, so which ones are Tobio’s most like?” Nishinoya asked.

Inuoka pointed to the sketch with a stag’s head. “This is the most similar, but ours have fur like a cat. I’ve only seen them a few times as Tobio doesn’t call them forth for no reason.”

“He took Hinata to see them though?”

Inuoka nodded. “I don’t know why, but he did.”

“Huh, so you’re saying even in this book, there’s nothing that could explain Hinata’s weird visions?”

“Nope. And I don’t know why his fire goes wild. And as no-one has told me what his visions include, I can’t attach any significance to them.”

Nishinoya pondered for a few moments. He had only come to visit Inuoka on a whim, he had thought the mage would be more useful without having to divulge the topics of Hinata’s visions. But equally, unless Kenma was keeping secrets again, no-one in the guild had any leads to go on.

“They all seem to involve a mountain with swirling mists.” He told Inuoka. “And a voice tells him things.”

“Things…like?” Inuoka’s brow furrowed.

Nishinoya tried to remember the precise wording. “Well over the several visions it seems to be saying he’s the only one who can stop something real bad from happening.”

“It address’s him by name?”

“Yeah, and Tobio too.”

Inuoka ran a hand through his hair, his expression full of thought as he glanced over the tome. He flicked through some of the pages, the inked words and sketches made by a scholar long ago didn’t bear any answers.

“And there was the bird in the fire too.” Nishinoya murmured, getting a startled look. “Yeah, we thought the same.”

“A bird in the fire.” Inuoka murmured, flicking through pages faster until he halted at the entry he was looking for. “The phoenix. A bird on fire that signals either misfortune or the dawning of a new age.”

A drawing of an eagle coated in flames took up most of the first page. Nishinoya wasn’t sure if it was exactly what Hinata saw, but he had definitely seen it on a certain House’s banner. The notes made around the drawing spoke about the lifespan of the creature, its behaviour and how it came to be both feared and admired when it showed up.

“House Oikawa adopted a symbol of misfortune as their sigil?” Nishinoya asked.

“Well, they probably saw it as ‘misfortune for our enemies, but prosperity for us’ kinda deal.” Inuoka shrugged. “Question is, which is it symbolising in Hinata’s vision?”

“Misfortune. At least from the voice’s point of view.” Nishinoya shook his head. “We don’t know what that voice is. It hasn’t given away any identity or anything…it’s like—”

“A spirit.” Inuoka cut in, making Nishinoya’s eyes widen. “You heard me, a spirit.”

“He’s not done any necromancy—”

“Never said he did.” Inuoka raised an eyebrow. “But I’ll tell you one thing, these visions started once you crossed the border right?” Nishinoya nodded, prompting him to continue. “This land is seeped in old magic, the griffins aren’t the only beings present.”

“What’s _that_  supposed to mean?!”

Inuoka sighed heavily. “I’ve heard about the old spirits Hinata encountered in the marshlands. Now imagine that, but more elusive and _older_.”

“And you’re suggesting said spirit has taken a liking to Hinata?”

Inuoka glanced down at the picture of the phoenix. “I’m suggesting,” he spoke gravely “that House Oikawa aren’t the only ones who picked an old creature for their banner. And there are stories about that volcano that Tobio doesn’t wholeheartedly believe in. He thinks they are just stories. But as your guild has experienced firsthand; stories have a habit of becoming real, very real.”

Nishinoya could think of several instances where they had proved that statement. One, in particular, stuck out to him however.

“I mean, transmutation rituals are more complex than you’d think…” He tried to laugh off the seriousness of the conversation.

“What?” Inuoka didn’t seem to know about that particular experience the guild had gone through.

“Ah, uh okay…” Nishinoya realised this would require a lengthy explanation. He wasn’t sure how long it took in the end, but once he had finished talking Inuoka through the events of the last cross-country quest of lunacy, there was a look in the other’s eyes that said he had thought of something.

“An aura mage.” Inuoka murmured, not batting an eye at the idea of Kiyoko once being a dragon or that Kenma had completed a taboo ritual with little to no injuries being inflicted. “I’ve not heard of one existing in so long…are you sure it was one?”

“Well Kiyoko seemed pretty damn sure.” Nishinoya huffed.

Inuoka hummed. “Did he wield all seven of the rumoured elements?”

Nishinoya honestly didn’t remember, the entire battle was a blur to most of them now. “He definitely mastered the three basics, possibly a fourth?”

“And you killed him?”

“Kunimi did, yeah.”

Inuoka sighed. “Why do the non-mages have to be so violent?”

“Well Kunimi hates most of our kind so…” Nishinoya laughed nervously “but it was also down to the fact he was trying to kill us.”

“Point…but still, an aura mage actually existing.” Inuoka shut the tome. “More impressive is that Kenma reversed his enchantment.”

Nishinoya felt a sense of pride. “Kenma’s a lot smarter than he lets on. He probably has like three theories behind Hinata’s visions, but he’s very…eh how do you say….”

“Mysterious?” Inuoka offered.

“Nah, he just hates talking to people. Though he’s been more talkative since Hinata joined us.”

Inuoka chuckled. “That I can believe.”

“I should probably get back to the others though,” Nishinoya gestured to the door “Daichi was going to talk to Tobio and I’m pretty sure Kenma needed to check on Akaashi.”

“Yeah, I imagine Akaashi is in a poor state, at least given what he did. Tell Kenma he’s welcome to use my alchemy supplies if he needs to.”

Nishinoya nodded before excusing himself from the room. The conversation fresh in his mind. He had hoped Inuoka would’ve had more solid information on what could cause Hinata’s visions. Instead, he got a sickening sense that the statement about the Brotherhood stepping into things beyond their understanding had just become a lot truer if the stories of the volcano were to be believed.

 

* * *

 

The clatter of horse hooves on cobblestone caused the crowds to part before the procession. The colours of House Oikawa shone brightly alongside the vivid orange of House Kageyama as the horses trotted side by side. Kiyoko had expected Tooru to demand they rid themselves of the ‘enemy’s colours, instead he had shrugged it off and calmly stated that as they were on business for Tobio, they should remain.

True to his word, Iwaizumi ordered Kiyoko, Tanaka and Kunimi to be allowed to ride up front with him. Captain Yamamoto was assigned to ride with Tooru, leaving the knight to talk in a more private manner to the guild members. Once the city walls were behind them and the old trading road opened up, he addressed some of the questions they had.

“As far as I know,” he glanced to Kiyoko “Tooru has no interest in a war. Not a physical one at least.”

Kiyoko nodded, letting Raimei walk himself along the road beside Iwaizumi’s warhorse. “Well unless our brothers have worked some kind of magic, Tobio seems set on one.”

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder down the convoy. Several members of the lead guard unit were accompanying them along with Shirabu and, of course, Tsukishima. He clocked Tsukishima hanging nearer to Yamamoto and deemed it safe to discuss more sensitive matters.

“The letter that Tooru was presented with, it had no mention of war.” He murmured, getting a shared look of confusion from Tanaka and Kunimi. “All it had was an invitation to dine with Tobio and a harsh warning about Tsukishima.”

“A warning.” Kunimi spoke up, spurring Amaya to Iwaizumi’s other side. “What kind?”

“The kind that speaks ill of oneself.” Iwaizumi replied. “He addressed Tsukishima as a scout of Kageyama, but he’s done service for House Oikawa under oath.”

“Meaning what?” Tanaka asked.

Kiyoko cut in. “Meaning he’s broken oath.” She gained a nod from Iwaizumi who continued.

“Breaking oath, especially as a scout is punishable by death.” He stated, eyes on the road ahead as a village came into view. “He took an oath as a scout of our House to protect our lands, to report any and all threats to the king and above all else, ally himself with no-one else.”

Tanaka remained quiet as Iwaizumi spoke, glancing behind him occasionally to check that there were no threats about. Kunimi hung back enough to have Amaya fall in step with Yuki. Only when Iwaizumi picked up a new conversation with Kiyoko did he speak further.

“Oi,” he nudged Tanaka “do you think Tobio knew Tooru would figure Tsukishima for an oath breaker?”

“Huh? What like, he set Tsukishima up?”

“Yeah.”

Tanaka ran the loose reins through his fingers. “Maybe? He would’ve had to have written it without Tsukishima knowing? And then Tsukishima would’ve had to have known that Tooru could march him right back to Tobio…which would’ve meant he got found out anyway?”

Kunimi nodded. “Like, I can see how it might’ve worked, but all he’s really done is give Tooru a slight heads up. What does that achieve?”

Tanaka shrugged. “These mind games that the royals play is beyond me Akira.” He made an unimpressed face. “How did you _live_ surrounded by it?”

There was a laugh from Kunimi. “You learn to ignore most of the chest-puffing talk and listen to the more subtle threats. Often those who protest the loudest aren’t the bigger threats, it’s those who keep quiet who are more likely to stab you in the back.”

“So that’s why you make such a good assassin.” Tanaka joked, yelping in pain as Kunimi delivered a swift punch to his shoulder.

They made good time that day on the road east. As the sun began to dip low in the sky, Iwaizumi declared to halt and set up camp. Several tents were erected, smaller ones for the soldiers, a tent for the members of the Brotherhood and a large one for Tooru and Iwaizumi. Supper was a simple but rich stew served with bread that had been freshly baked that day. The soldiers ate together around the fire, accepting Tanaka and Kunimi into their banter and storytelling with ease.

Tsukishima was more content to sit further away and stare out at the dark forest that was encroaching on the road the further east they travelled. He showed no desire to talk to anyone, and the group repaid that lack of desire. Kiyoko was set to simply listen to the banter of the guards, knowing she wasn’t exactly welcome in the king’s tent, but she was surprised when Shirabu waved her over to his private tent.

“You’re the court mage, right?” She asked, standing in the opening to his small leather tent. “Shirabu?”

“Yes,” He nodded before bowing in a more formal greeting, “Kenjirou Shirabu. And you’re the lass that’s been causing a lot of rumours to fly in Tanishiti.”

Kiyoko was intrigued. “Rumours?”

He nodded again, sitting down on the pile of blankets that made up his bed. Several leather journals spilt out of a satchel beside him alongside a few vials of light blue liquid. He seemed distracted by something, his eyes looking past her almost like he was watching for an intruder.

“Rumours.” He repeated. “You showed up to the city in the colours of House Kageyama and you publicly defied the royal guardsman and lived to tell the tale.” He smirked. “That’s not exactly normal.”

She had to admit, when he laid it out for her like that, it sounded more impressive. “What great tell are these rumours then?”

“Most are convinced you’re a guard to Tobio himself, others talk of more…” he trailed off, the smirk on his face growing slightly before he recomposed himself. “Others say you’re his mistress.”

“Excuse me?” Kiyoko felt her face burning. “Mist— you’re not serious.”

Shirabu shrugged. “The people talk. Once they found out you used to be a recruit for Tooru’s royal guard well, that set a whole different story into motion—”

She held up her hand. “Shirabu, you waved me over here. Clearly, you want to talk about something more than petty rumours.” She didn’t appreciate the fact she could feel the blush creeping over her skin, she could put up with people underestimating her swordsmanship but she didn’t want to know what the townsfolk were saying if that was the tame stuff.

The other raised his eyebrows but nodded. His smirk faded as he picked up one of the journals that had slipped from the satchel. “My original point was that you’ve been to House Kageyama’s dwelling, you’ve seen what state it’s in and no doubt heard from the king himself what transpired there.”

Kiyoko nodded slowly. “Go on…”

Shirabu held up the journal. “This is one of the late king Hayato’s journals.” He waited for her to nod in understanding. “Within these pages, he speaks of the day of the eruption but I have reason to believe that some of it isn’t quite what it reads to be.”

“You think he was lying?” Kiyoko clarified, folding her arms across her chest.

Shirabu seemed reluctant to expand on his point at first. “I was asked to contact Hayato’s spirit. I performed a ritual that is usually taboo in order to seek clarification but all it got me was more questions. Questions that will be answered one way or another when we reach Tobio.”

Considering what the guild had done, the idea of contacting a dead king didn’t honestly sound too ridiculous to Kiyoko. She may not have approved of it, but the idea of it happening didn’t surprise her.

“What kind of questions?”

“To put it simply,” Shirabu set the journal down and picked up a different one, flipping to a recent page, he read directly from his notes; “’The dragon and the phoenix will rise together or not at all’. And he was adamant he had made a ‘grave mistake’.”

“The dragon and the phoenix.” Kiyoko repeated. “Sounds like he’s calling for a truce between you and them.”

“It does, doesn’t it.” Shirabu let out a half laugh. “But this mistake, that’s what’s bugging me.”

“He mentioned the eruption in his journal?”

“Yes, the volcano that sits behind Hokubujōsai—”

“Erupted,” She smiled slightly as his eyes widened “it did. But it didn’t destroy the city, not in the slightest.”

“Then what—” Shirabu started before she shook her head.

“All I can say is Tobio is bitter about it all. It’s not my place to speak for him, I have not taken any oaths for him and I am not willing to share his sorrow without his permission.”

There was a nod of understanding from Shirabu. He flipped through some pages before meeting her gaze again. “Tooru doesn’t know about the ritual, it was Iwaizumi who requested my services. But there’s another issue, the Blue Serpents.”

The mention of the bandit clan made Kiyoko stiffen. “What about them?”

“It was when I brought them up to Hayato that he said about the dragon and phoenix only rising together.”

Kiyoko shrugged. “And?”

Shirabu let out a heavy sigh, appearing more reluctant than ever to finish his thought. “I believe, that something is afoot with them, that they are more than a bandit clan. I also believe that Hayato is trying to warn us that if Tooru doesn’t make peace with Tobio, the serpents will wipe us all out.”

It was a chilling statement. In the back of her mind, Kiyoko was acutely aware that the mounting suspicion regarding the Serpents was pointing towards them being bigger than a bandit clan. She just hadn’t wanted to think about it until after dealing with the pardon business.

“How confident are you in that belief?” She murmured.

Shirabu’s eyes were dark as he met her gaze. “As confident as I am that the next few days are going to be some of the defining moments in our lifetimes.”

She certainly couldn’t argue with that. As she excused herself to get some fresh air, the conversation’s topics whirled within her mind. It had only been a few days since she left the Brotherhood in the foreign land but it had been more than enough time for things to change drastically. They had sworn they’d try to break Tsukishima’s spell over Tobio and figure out a plan of action before she returned with Tooru.

The question was, how successful had they been?

 

 


	40. A Confession and an Apology

**XXXIX**

**A Confession and an Apology**

There had been a flurry of activity in the castle that afternoon. Kenma paid a visit to Akaashi and found him awake but in need of medical attention. After hearing him recount his headaches and the flare of pain in his left hand, Kenma inspected the friction burns that had begun to rise out of his hand like welts. These weren’t the normal burns from elements, but with Inuoka’s potion making set up at his disposal, Kenma came up with a poultice that eased some of the soreness.

The headaches and nightmares, however, were not so easily dealt with. Kuroo watched as Kenma flicked through the notes he always kept in his alchemy satchel, a simple recipe for a potion came to light and was deemed ‘all he could offer in assistance’.

“Isn’t that the potion you were giving him before?” Moniwa asked as Kenma swirled the contents of the glass vial, colourless liquid started turning pink.

“Yes.” Kenma replied, narrowing his gaze at it. “It’s actually an elixir to boost his powers.”

Moniwa gave Kenma a puzzled look. “Surely that would make it worse?”

Kenma smiled slightly, swirling the contents around a little more. “Not necessarily. I’ve found that his headaches have been caused by exhaustion, so giving him a boost seems to work in alleviating the pain.”

Something didn’t sit right with Moniwa about boosting Akaashi’s powers at that moment. He wasn’t sure what had happened in the ritual, but the welts on Akaashi’s hand didn’t spell out anything particularly good.

“Alright,” Kenma sighed, slipping a cork onto the vial “let’s give this to him and see what happens.”

“You mean even you don’t know if it’ll help?”

Kenma halted at the door of Inuoka’s study, he glanced over his shoulder at Moniwa, eyes vacant of any emotion. “Since entering this kingdom I’ve come to accept I have a very limited knowledge on how magic works. I’ve dabbled in alchemy enough to keep us all alive thus far,” he turned to fully face Moniwa “but even I know we’re out of our depth here.”

“Like the voice in Hinata’s vision said? ‘Circumstances beyond our control’?”

Kenma nodded. “Nishinoya told me that Inuoka said there’s older magic in this land. I’m not entirely disregarding that being involved in some of this.”

Sensing that they had kept Akaashi waiting long enough, Kenma returned to his side. Akaashi took the vial without complaint and under Kuroo’s watch, drank its contents. The potion didn’t take long to start working, though Akaashi was still too tired to really leave the bed, he seemed more at peace than before. They started talking about what had happened since the ritual, it was clear that Akaashi was focused on getting back into the thick of things regardless of what the others thought.

“Hinata’s okay though, right?” Akaashi asked. “He’s not had any more visions?”

Kenma shook his head. “No, he’s fine, as is Tobio.” He smiled. “Daichi and Bokuto have been helping Tobio come up with a more solid plan for when Tooru arrives.”

“What about Suga? Surely he’d be more…suited for that kind of talk?”

Kuroo cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, well Suga’s probably taking some time out…”

Kenma raised an eyebrow. It was impossible to not know about the outburst Kuroo had at both Suga and Daichi, that being said, he was surprised that Kuroo was going to be so open about it. Maybe it signalled a change that was sorely needed.

“Why?” Akaashi quietly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kuroo let out a sigh. “I said some stupid shit, he took it hard.”

There was a pause before Akaashi clicked his tongue. “Well why aren’t you tripping over yourself to fix it?”

Kenma wanted to laugh at the attitude Akaashi had, Kuroo seemed disbelieving at how callous the other was being. When Akaashi didn’t yield in his stare, Kuroo nodded hesitantly.

“Uh, yeah, good point.” He shuffled off the bed and stood up, glancing back momentarily. “I’ll be back in a bit?”

Akaashi nodded, watching him go. Only when the door closed did he say anything else. “He’s blaming himself again.”

“For what?” Kenma asked.

“Everything.” Akaashi uttered, wincing as he moved to sit up and flexed his hand. Moniwa wasn’t sure if he should disclose the altercation between Kuroo and Daichi or not, opting to stay quiet for the moment as Akaashi continued. “I’m not sure what’s brought it on this time.”

Kenma took Akaashi’s injured hand and gently rubbed more of the poultice into the welts. “You running off to do a ritual by yourself didn’t help.”

“I know that.” Akaashi quipped, watching the other’s fingers move.

“Then why’d you do it?” Kenma’s tone wasn’t sharp, he was more patiently curious. “You had to have known he would take it personally.”

Akaashi sighed heavily, refusing to reply as Kenma continued giving attention to his wound.

“Think of it this way then,” Kenma hummed “if it had been Hinata who had run off to do the same ritual by himself, how would you have felt?”

There was a snort. “Like he had a deathwish.”

“That’s how Tetsurou feels.” Kenma’s golden eyes met Akaashi’s with an air of amusement in them. “He thinks you had a deathwish.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes. “Surely he trusts me more than that.”

“Whether he does or not isn’t the point here,” Kenma withdrew his hands “it’s that you didn’t tell any of us that you intended to do it alone and given our circumstances, we need to be open with each other, brutally so.”

Moniwa found himself nodding in agreement. “The court politics that we’ve walked into tend to involve a lot of cloak and dagger talking.” He added, getting a nod from Kenma.

Kenma hummed in agreement, glancing back to Akaashi “And the Brotherhood can’t go down that route, at least not with ourselves. You’ve seen firsthand how chaotic and destructive this can get, the end result is simply bloodshed.”

Akaashi held Kenma’s gaze. For the first time since he woke up, he actively planted thoughts into someone else’s mind.

"More than you can imagine Kenma. I’ve seen things that no-one should."

Kenma nodded. “Exactly. So can you really blame Tetsurou for being so upset? He doesn’t know how your powers work, what you’ve seen, how it haunts you.”

“I’ve told him as such—”

“But he hasn’t seen it, has he?” Kenma insisted, leaning closer and dropping his voice. “You haven’t made him experience it like you have. You don’t want him to see it.”

Akaashi opened his mouth to reply but Kenma stood up, prompting him to stay quiet.

“That’s why you slipped away to do the ritual yourself isn’t it?” Kenma asked. “You wanted to protect him.” He gestured to Akaashi’s wounded hand. “You didn’t simply pull good memories forth did you?”

Akaashi averted his gaze, staring at the angry red welts. The burning was fresh in his mind and if he thought too much about it he could see the throne room in his mind. Blood ran down the walls and pooled in the centre of the room, the banner of House Kageyama came to life only to be struck down in an inferno.

“Keiji.” Kenma’s voice was closer, Akaashi made himself meet the serious eyes of the other. “You took the memories, didn’t you? That’s why your hand is scarred the way it is.”

“He was in pain.” Akaashi hissed, clenching his other hand into a fist. “I couldn’t let it slide. Tsukishima has put him through so much fucking pain that I just wanted to put it right.”

Kenma sighed heavily. “It was your plan all along wasn’t it? And you knew we’d all object to it.”

“We had no other option.” Akaashi hit his fist against the bed in frustration. “We need Tobio at his best in order to stop this stupid war. So yes, I took the hit. I knew it was a lose-lose situation for me, but as I told Yamaguchi; an empath mage caused all that pain, so it was only right that another took it away.”

There was a pause. Kenma eased himself to sit on the edge of the bed, he took Akaashi’s clenched fist in his hands and coaxed his fingers open. The silver band that was Kuroo’s ring winked in the light of the lantern, the reminder of the other’s love for Akaashi regardless of what they faced.

“I’ll figure out a way to get rid of them for good.” Kenma stated calmly. “And I won’t tell the others, not unless it becomes a problem.”

Akaashi swallowed. “…okay.”

“But you need to promise me that you’ll at least confide in me before you do anything like this again, if nothing else it’ll give me time to work out if you’ll need treatment afterwards.”

There was a weak smile. “Sure…hopefully there won’t be an ‘again’.” He snorted.

Kenma chuckled, looking to Moniwa. “Kaname, could you go and tell Yamaguchi that we need some stew up here?”

“Sure.”

Akaashi smiled as Moniwa left. He vaguely wondered what Kuroo was saying to Suga. The burning in his hand had faded, but he was now turning his thoughts to other matters.

“So Hinata’s visions,” he murmured, catching Kenma’s attention “any ideas?”

Kenma smiled. “Glad you asked, I’ve been meaning to run my theory by someone.”

 

* * *

 

 

Finding Suga was easy, even in a castle as big as Hokubujōsai. It was approaching him and starting a conversation that was the hard part for Kuroo. He watched from the doorway of the kitchen as Suga moved back and forth between the shelves of food stocks, Yaku by his side taking notes on a piece of parchment. When asked if there was anything to do, Yamaguchi had put them to work taking inventory of their supplies. The cold season was quickly approaching and according to the steward, once the snow fell in the mountain passes, there would be fewer ways to get more food to them.

“I make that ten crates of ale, at least up here.” Suga told Yaku from atop the box of which he was perched looking over the wooden crates that lined the top shelf.

“There are several barrels in the cellar.” Yaku nodded, making a note. He had clocked Kuroo’s presence but didn’t say anything. “Anything else up there?”

Suga craned his neck to look along the shelf that lined the wall of the kitchen. “Another string of garlic and some more potatoes. Other than that, no.”

“Uh huh, so that brings us to…” Yaku made some hasty scribbles as Suga stepped off the box and peered over his shoulder. “Assuming we leave before the first snowfall, they’ll have enough to last most of the winter.”

Suga hummed. “Assuming.”

Yaku could tell Suga wasn’t being overly optimistic. “If we stay, then it’ll last about two weeks.”

“Better tell Yamaguchi to find some traders.”

“Rather you than me,” Yaku glanced up at Kuroo “how’s Akaashi?”

Kuroo was caught off guard at the sudden question, even more so at both their attention on him. “Uh, he’s awake now.”

“Good.” Suga smiled slightly but the usual warmth wasn’t there. “Do you need something?”

It would’ve been easy for Kuroo to shrug and put off the awkward conversation for another time. However, he hadn’t forgotten his train of thought from earlier that day. If he was expecting Tobio to put his past behind him and focus on the future, Kuroo by all means had to do the same.

“I wanted to apologise for earlier.” He stepped into the room, the wooden floor of the banquet hall being replaced by stone. His footsteps sounded louder as he paced toward Suga. “I was upset, obviously…and uh I took it out on you.”

Suga folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah?”

Kuroo nodded. “I’m sorry Koushi.”

For a few moments, Suga didn’t say anything. He glanced around the kitchen, the light streaming in through the window catching the iron cooking pots. The room felt strangely empty for a castle kitchen, the large hearth wasn’t lit and the cooking pots were stacked neatly waiting for a larger occasion to be used. There was almost a lingering sensation that the room felt lonely, yearning to be filled once more with the bakers, cooks and all their staff.

Suga let out a sigh, meeting Kuroo’s gaze again.

“I need to apologise too then, because I took out my frustration on you.” He nodded. “And it wasn’t called for in the slightest. So I’m sorry too.”

Yaku looked back and forth between the two, waiting for something to happen. Kuroo smiled before closing the gap between them and pulling Suga into an abrupt hug. Suga slowly put his arms around Kuroo and patted his back, confusion clear in his expression but willing to entertain the other’s affection nonetheless.

“You were right to call me out.” Kuroo told him, still hugging him. “I was being a jerk.”

Suga snorted. “When aren’t you?” He joked.

“Hey now,” Kuroo pulled back and chuckled. “There’s the Koushi I know.”

“The sassy one?” Yaku suggested, getting a playful pout from Suga. “Oh you mean the _brutally_ sassy one.”

They shared a laugh as Suga rolled his eyes. After briefly getting each other up to date on their current situation; mainly how Akaashi was faring and how Daichi had been talking to Tobio, Kuroo was eager to gather the guild together.

“What’s your ingenious plan this time then?” Yaku asked as he walked with Kuroo to round up the guild members not wrapped up in tasks for the House. “Don’t shrug me off, I know you’ve got to have something if you’re this eager to talk to everyone.”

Kuroo smiled. “Let’s just say I’ve had some time to think about the bigger picture.”

“Oh great, I can’t wait for this.” Yaku halted in the hallway. “Spill it.”

“If you insist,” Kuroo shrugged, turning to face him “it’s simple, we use the threat of the Serpents to unite the two kingdoms.”

Yaku blinked slowly, processing the amount that plan could backfire. “And if they don’t?”

Kuroo shrugged again. “Then we leave and take care of them ourselves.”

“Cause that’s worked so well thus far.” Yaku snorted as they started walking again. “I’m a little doubtful they’ll agree.”

“Yeah, but this time they both have a reason to help us; the House that is rumoured to be working them and the House that’s being plagued by them. Tooru will want to get rid of them once and for all, Tobio will want them to be eradicated so his House is no longer associated with them.”

As much as Yaku hated to admit it, Kuroo’s plan wasn’t actually that ludicrous. He daresay could see it working.

“Let’s see what the others think before you get too invested in this…” Yaku murmured.

“That means you think it might work, right?” Kuroo grinned, nudging Yaku.

“Shut up, it does not.”

“You would’ve shot it down completely if you thought it was terrible.”

“I said, shut up.” Yaku uttered, unable to stop himself smiling slightly at Kuroo’s infectious excitement.

They assembled everyone in the banquet hall so that Akaashi didn’t need to move too far from his designated bed. There were several glances of uncertainty exchanged amongst them as they waited for Kuroo to explain why they were summoned.

Once he had taken great care not to embellish his idea, but simply state the raw suggestion and let everyone interpret it for themselves, he opened it up to a discussion. He expected objections from everyone but was pleasantly surprised.

“I can see it working.” Nishinoya spoke first. “Tooru might have some extra information on their recent activity too.”

“And after our conversation with Tobio, he’s more than willing to make a statement about protecting his kingdom.” Bokuto nodded. “As long as Tooru doesn’t shut him out, I think Tobio would even want to lead the offensive.”

With more nods of agreement, Kuroo had to stop himself grinning at the prospect of actually coming up with a decent plan.

“One thing though,” Kindaichi put up his hand “what of Tooru doesn’t believe that Tobio isn’t involved with the Serpents? Like, we’re taking his word for it along with what Inuoka showed the mages and Kyoutani’s account…but what if Tooru isn’t so easily swayed?”

Daichi hummed in thought, hand rubbing his chin as he mulled over the possibility. “Well, what proof is there that Tobio is involved?”

The number of rhetorical questions that they seemed to enjoy asking themselves was getting a little out of hand. Hinata had been quiet for the entire meeting, thinking through what the voice had been telling him. As Daichi’s question went unanswered, he chose that moment to voice his own thoughts.

“The voice said that they won’t take pity on ‘him’.” He glanced to Kenma for some kind of support. “But what if…it wasn’t just referring to Tobio?”

Kenma raised an eyebrow. “You said you saw a bird in the fire, correct?”

Hinata nodded.

“Maybe ‘him’ also refers to Tooru?”

“If that’s the case,” Yaku jumped in “who is ‘they’ referring to?”

“The Serpents would be the easiest guess?” Nishinoya offered.

A thought seemed to occur to Suga, his eyes widened. “Or someone we’ve yet to encounter. Like a certain empire to the north of this kingdom.”

There was a heavy silence. Suga’s suggestion had dealt a swift blow to any optimism they had felt.

“The empire has been quiet of late though?” Bokuto tried to wind the conversation back to more positive thoughts. “Why would they suddenly turn around and…get involved?”

“Because two kingdoms making a truce is the first step to an alliance,” Daichi replied. “And alliances are a threat to an empire’s expansion.”

Yaku shook his head. “So hold on a damn second,” he put up a hand to pause speculation. “You’re suggesting that if Tooru and Tobio forge an alliance of sorts, The Empire is going to involve themselves because they’ll feel threatened?”

Daichi nodded. “House Kageyama’s border is right up against their’s.”

“Why didn’t they just take this kingdom when the eruption happened?” Yaku challenged.

Nishinoya cleared his throat. “Because if Inuoka’s beliefs are anything to go by, the Empire may have been superstitious of the legends, especially a certain one surrounding the volcano.”

He was met with puzzled looks. “What legend?” Yaku asked.

Nishinoya was more puzzled that no-one else had heard of it yet. “The one that states that if anyone but an heir of Kageyama sits on the throne, the volcano erupts? Tobio doesn’t believe it, but the Empire might, and it might be the only reason they didn’t invade.”

“…it’s entirely possible.” Moniwa quietly said. “They’re quite a superstitious lot.”

Daichi met Kuroo’s gaze as no-one said anything further. “We can still go with your plan, by all means, it’s the most solid one we’ve got.”

“Why don’t we clue in Kiyoko and the others first? They might know something from Tooru’s side of things.” Kindaichi asked.

Kuroo shook his head. “I doubt we’ll get the chance to, at least before the first contact is made between the two kings. If Tobio and Tooru play nice and manage to agree to further discussions, then we can get them up to speed.”

“Yeah,” Daichi agreed “we shouldn’t depend on them being able to tell us anything until that point at the earliest.” He glanced around the group. “Anyone have anything else they want to add?”

No-one did, so he dismissed them. It was shaping up to be a long day and he still had to finish helping Tobio figure out his plan of attack - metaphorically speaking. They had a few more days before Tooru could arrive, there hadn’t been any crows received with messages yet, but Daichi hadn’t sent anyway out either.

He sent Bokuto off ahead of him to continue their preparations with Tobio before seeking out Kyoutani. The dragon tamer was a little confused at the idea of using birds as messengers, mainly around how the guild’s crows tracked them. Nevertheless, he took Daichi to the second tower that overlooked the city, a few empty cages were stacked in the covered area at the top of the tower, the feathers of crows and hawks alike scattered around the floor.

“The wind is more favourable here.” Kyoutani shrugged. “We haven’t kept any birds since we returned but I guess this was the old rookery.”

Daichi nodded, he knew Kenma and Akaashi between them had the ability to call the crows, now he just had to pen the first of many letters that they’d send out.

“You have my thanks. I need to inform our allies of the recent developments.” He told Kyoutani as they descended from the tower.

“Allies?” Kyoutani wrinkled his nose. “A band of lunatics has allies?”

“Yeah, they’re an equally crazy band of pirates.” Daichi retorted. “They’re also very good at finding information, so they might be more useful than use think.”

Kyoutani shrugged. “Fair enough, let me know if you need anything else.”

Daichi made a note to bare that offer in mind. Depending on what Misaki and her crew could tell them, he might need the help of a more neutral party in the midst of the kingdoms colliding.

 

 


	41. Preparations

**XL**

**Preparations**

They rode for three days. Kiyoko recognised most of their route right up until the trading route ended harshly with the stone wall. Tooru seemed to understand this was the border his father had made. He called upon Kiyoko to lead them from the wall onwards, the snub of Tsukishima’s knowledge didn’t go unnoticed. She accepted the responsibility to lead them, taking them to the hole that Nishinoya had made. Kunimi broke off from the party to ‘scout’ but he really went directly to the only rune they knew existed.

He dismounted and tapped the glowing engravings a few times.

“Hey, Inuoka. Gods I hope you can hear me.” He hissed, feeling rightfully stupid for talking to a rock. “So Tooru is on his way. We’re about two days from the mountain pass as long as we don’t get hindered by weather. He seems…” he trailed off, trying to explain the mentality of the king wasn’t easy when he was in a rush. “Tooru seems at ease, I guess. He’s certainly pissed off with Tsukishima. Anyway, I gotta go, I hope you’re ready for this shitstorm.”

He quickly mounted Amaya’s saddle and spurred her to a gallop. He rode parallel to the convoy, making his scouting efforts look more genuine. It was obvious to the three of them that they needed to find a more direct route to Tobu Misaki-Mura than through the forest they had come through.

He rode closer, slowing Amaya as he came alongside Tanaka. Kiyoko led the party with Iwaizumi at her side, the royal guardsman kept glancing around the foreign land in an uneasy manner.

“Hey Kiyoko,” Kunimi called.

“Yeah?” She glanced over her shoulder at him.

“You want me and Ryuu to scout ahead in case of wolves?” He asked. “We saw a few on our way here remember?”

Kiyoko understood what he was doing. “Yes, good call Akira.” She met Iwaizumi’s gaze. “The wolves out here are desperate creatures, it’s best we let them go ahead to drive them off.”

Iwaizumi nodded. “Very well, you’re leading us after all.”

With the knight’s blessing, Kunimi and Tanaka split off from the party, spurring their mares to a canter. The wind was harsh against their skin as they scanned the horizon. The forest was to their right, the mountains to their left. The wilderness stretched out in front of them, rolling grasslands with rocks jutting out here and there. Wildflowers were wilting in the cold, the trees that had been losing their leaves were quickly becoming bare, leaving only those with pine needles to colour the horizon.

They expected it to be a desolate wasteland until they reached the mountains. Oh, how they were wrong.

Tanaka brought Yuki to an abrupt halt as they reached the summit of a hill. Kunimi followed suit and made his way over to Tanaka, both of them confused at the sight before them.

“Didn’t Tobio say the eruption didn’t actually destroy anything?” Tanaka clarified. “Like it just put smoke in the air and spat a bit of fire at the forest?”

Kunimi nodded. “Yeah…”

“So who did this?”

Their gazes passed over the razed village. Unlike the city they stumbled upon, there wasn’t much left to the imagination in regards to how this place’s residents found their demise. Buildings were left with only the sturdiest of walls still standing, the stone surviving the assault and the test of time. Burnt timber frames had collapsed in on themselves, the chunks that hadn’t burned had instead begun rotting at the hands of the elements. Fungi sprouted within the dark crevices, vines choked the support beams that remained standing despite everything.

“…this isn’t good.” Kunimi uttered. “This has invasion written all over it.”

Tanaka shook his head. “Go and tell Kiyoko. I’ll have a poke around and see if there’s evidence of a freak storm being responsible.”

As Amaya made her hasty getaway, Tanaka steered Yuki down into the village. He left her by what remained of the stone wall, hoping she wouldn’t spook easily. He drew his sword out of habit and caution, not knowing if there would be any wolves lurking in the ruins. As he stepped between the former homes, it became obvious that not everyone had made it out alive.

Inside several of the buildings that he dared to peer into, he found human bones. Even with the clear fire damage to all of the buildings, he had a sickening feeling this was no accident. The banners of House Kageyama were all singed or torn apart, weapons lay haphazardly across the floors of several buildings and most of the people’s belongings were still in place.

Tanaka was ready to grab Yuki and convince the party to turn south, but part of him knew that this was probably not the only village like this. The sooner Tooru came to realise that he had been fed a pack of lies, the better.

He made his way back to Yuki in time to see Kunimi and Kiyoko reach the hill. Iwaizumi took in the sight with a poker face. As the rest of the party spotted the ruins, uneasy glances were flashed Tooru’s way.

“What do you make of this?” Iwaizumi asked Tooru as his horse halted next to Iwaizumi’s.

Tooru swallowed. “Peculiar.” He uttered. “But nothing of note, let’s continue.”

Kunimi let out a small sigh of relief as Kiyoko nodded for him and Tanaka to ride ahead again. They didn’t make it very far before they stumbled across another village that had met the same fate.

“Oh for god's sake.” He cussed as Tanaka rubbed his head. “What the hell did they do, raze everything they came across?”

“Probably” Tanaka sighed. “I’ll ride ahead and see if I can spot any more, this could be a long ass day if we’re stopping at every village.”

Kunimi nodded, watching him go. When they heard of the invasion, he hadn’t imagined it would be this bad. They hadn’t seen any of this when they first travelled east, but then again there was a glaring reason why; Tsukishima had told them that continuing on a straight course east wouldn’t get them to Tobu Misaki-Mura. They had taken the route through the forest and Daichi’s party had come from the south, so none of these villages had been in sight.

He could feel his hatred for Tsukishima growing.

“Another?” Iwaizumi’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Unfortunately yes.”

Iwaizumi snorted, glancing over his shoulder at Tooru before fixing his gaze ahead once more. “We’re still two days ride away. How many more are there?”

Kunimi didn’t want to guess. “I suggest we don’t dwell too long at each one, it might unnerve your men.”

They continued for the rest of the day in a similar fashion; Kunimi and Tanaka would ride ahead to make sure the way was safe, Kiyoko and Iwaizumi remained with the main party. Tooru was quiet for most of the day, only conversing in short exchanges with Shirabu and Yamamoto as they rode. Tsukishima brought up the rear of the party, never interrupting, never looking to involve himself in any of the conversations had, and certainly not offering guidance.

As they camped that night, Kiyoko pulled Iwaizumi aside. He left Yamamoto in charge of guarding the king as the two of them took a short walk away from the main camp. It was set to be a cold night, the sky was clear letting the moon and stars illuminate the dark sky. The trees of the forest rustled and whispered in the wind, their depths darker than the sky and sending chills through the men who dared to glance into them.

“So, we’re a day’s ride away.” Kiyoko spoke softly, not wanting to let anyone else hear their conversation. “What is Tooru’s intention once he gets there?”

Iwaizumi straightened his posture as they halted, his gaze meeting hers in the glow of the flaming torch he held between them. “He’s going to answer Tobio’s summons. It hinges on what Tobio actually wants.”

“I hope he wants to simply talk.” Kiyoko replied, hand going to the hilt of her blade. “But you and I both know that this could go south very quickly.”

There was a nod. “Talking can escalate quickly.” Iwaizumi’s expression was grime as the flames danced in the wind. “What say you of Tobio’s mindset?”

It was the question Kiyoko had been dreading. “…when we left, it wasn’t good. He was acting arrogant, blood-thirsty and scorned. He didn’t seem willing to listen to reason.”

“You think things are different now?”

She looked up at the stars in the sky. “We had a plan, a plan to try and figure out what had caused him to get so…cold. I have no idea if my brothers succeeded in their plan.”

Iwaizumi glanced over the camp not too far away. “And what say you of Tsukishima? I know you told me he’s not trustworthy, we know that anyway.”

She shook her head. “He attacked one of our brothers. He’s been cocky from the start.” She followed Iwaizumi’s gaze. “Tobio seemed to trust him, though how deep that trust goes is unknown.”

“Has he indicated which side he’s really on?”

Kiyoko shook her head again. “We know he hates the academies, but as far as politics go, I can’t figure it out.”

There were a few moments of silence between them. Iwaizumi sighed heavily and turned to keep walking. Throughout the day they had come across another four ruined settlements. Each had been destroyed by a fire but Tanaka and Kunimi had been noting the rather siege-like setups.

They hadn’t mentioned finding a banner of House Oikawa in one house in near perfect condition. It merely solidified in their mind who was responsible for the destruction and death.

“Tell me one thing,” Iwaizumi broke the silence as he stopped and met Kiyoko’s gaze “does your Brotherhood side with us or them?”

Kiyoko couldn’t speak for all of them, but there was a sense of injustice surrounding the events of the demise of House Kageyama. She couldn’t tell Iwaizumi of those events, they were not hers to tell. Yet whilst they sympathised with Tobio’s struggle, they couldn’t condemn Tooru for the acts of his father. It simply wasn’t in their values to do that.

“We don’t side as one entity.” She replied. “We are our own people, each brother holds his own values true to himself. We may share common values of course, but as a Brotherhood we rarely side as one unit.” She smiled slightly as Iwaizumi nodded in understanding.

“So how do you feel?”

Kiyoko let out a sigh. “Honestly Iwaizumi, I don’t know.” She felt the words stick in her throat. “When we get to Tobu Misaki-Mura, I hope you’ll understand my hesitation.”

Iwaizumi nodded, slower this time. “Alright. I trust the reason you’re not telling me everything is because you’re fearful for what Tobio may do if he finds out?”

It was a lie, but Kiyoko nodded. She knew Tobio couldn’t overpower the guild if he really tried to kill them, but it was easy enough to go along with Iwaizumi’s assumption.

“As I said, he’s unpredictable. Unless my brothers have pulled off their plan, Tobio’s a force to be reckoned with currently.”

Their conversation drew to a close, the fire within the camp was being stoked when they returned. Iwaizumi immediately entered Tooru’s tent, no doubt to tell him what had been discussed. Kiyoko sat between Tanaka and Kunimi, accepting the bowl of stew from one of the soldiers with a smile.

It would hopefully be their last night camping in the wilds, and eager they were to return to the more solid walls of Hokubujōsai and the familiar faces of their Brotherhood.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days passed in which Daichi and Bokuto found themselves spending most of their time in Tobio’s chambers talking through the basics of running a kingdom. It had quickly become apparent that Tobio had received very little in the way of teaching before his parents’ death. Aside from snippets he had picked up beforehand and whatever Yamaguchi had told him, Tobio was rather clueless when it came to the art of ruling.

Daichi never claimed to have all the answers, but he wasn’t about to watch this disaster unfold if he could prevent it.

Whilst they had been tied up in debates and discussions, the rest of the guild had been preparing the castle for the royal guests. Inuoka had received Kunimi’s message through the rune portal and sent a wave of brief panic through everyone. Suga and Kuroo had been quick to grasp control, delegating tasks to everyone from cleaning the stables to moving furniture around in order to accommodate a full envoy.

Akaashi’s recovery had come along in leaps and bounds. His hand still bore the scar of from the ritual but the swelling had gone down enough to give him use of it back. At the news that Tooru was closer than they thought, he had demanded he be allowed to help prepare, even if Kenma was still insistent that he rested before Tsukishima returned.

It went without saying that the guild would be playing a significant role in these discussions, though how much they’d be permitted to interject would remain to be seen. Hinata had been told by both Kenma and Suga that under no circumstances were he to mention the visions or the griffins. He was told to keep any and all talk of that firmly behind closed doors no matter what he heard both kings talking about. He felt a little put out that they felt the need to tell him to keep quiet, but he couldn’t blame them given how volatile everything seemed to be.

When the dawn came on the expected day of Tooru’s arrival, there was an uneasy feeling in the air. Hinata walked into the empty throne room, the early morning chill in the air. No-one else had awoken yet, his only company was Lev who had been sticking by his side since the ritual. He couldn’t sleep, his body almost felt like it was on alert for some kind of danger, though what exactly it was sensing was beyond him.

He stood at the foot of the throne. Dark stone barely illuminated by the weak sunlight that filtered through the shutters. In a few hours time, this room would be flooded with light, the banner of House Kageyama would be hung high behind the throne and on both walls flanking it. The House staff would be in their ceremonial clothes, no expense would be spared to put on a show of strength for the visiting king.

Right now however, the room was dark. It felt lonely and cold. For two years it had been empty before Tobio had returned. Whilst he had breathed life into the hall, there was something missing still.

Footsteps alerted him to someone’s presence. He glanced to the door that led off towards the king’s chambers. Tobio himself emerged from the shadows, deep in thought as he toyed with his ring.

“Tobio?” Hinata murmured, not wanting to spook the other but watching him freeze in his tracks said he had done just that.

“Shoyo.” Tobio replied, walking towards him. “You’re up early.”

Hinata smiled. “Yeah I was nervous I guess.” He waved off the reasoning. “Sometimes it’s hard sleeping in a room with like ten other people as well.”

There was a small smile. “You’re nervous? Why? You’ve not got anything riding on today’s events.”

Hinata couldn’t exactly say Tobio was wrong, but there of course was more to his sleeplessness than what he was willing to say. Instead, he turned the attention back to Tobio.

“You’ll be fine, I’m sure. You’ve had Daichi and Bokuto giving you tips. And they’re two of the smartest guys I know!”

Tobio chuckled quietly. “Yeah, they’ve been great.” He met Hinata’s gaze. “But nothing really prepares you for days like this.”

“Meeting another king?” Hinata cocked his head to one side, Lev mirroring the action. “What’s the big deal?”

Tobio raised an eyebrow. “Meeting the son of the man who ordered my parents dead. That’s the big deal.”

Hinata wasn’t an idiot, he knew it was a big deal, but equally he didn’t see how Tobio could be mad at Tooru for something that he had no part in.

“He’s not his father though?” Hinata offered. “At least, that’s what Daichi keeps saying. And Kunimi seemed pretty confident that Tooru’s kinda nice?”

Tobio shrugged. “You have a point, but our family’s actions define us as royal Houses. I can’t ignore what his family did to mine, even if he wasn’t responsible then, he is now.”

“But if everyone thought like that, we’d get nowhere.” Hinata pouted slightly. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do,” he added quickly, putting his hands up in surrender “I’m just telling you what I think?”

He expected a cold response from Tobio, to be told he had no idea what he was talking about. Instead though, he got a nod and a small smile.

“Thank you for your thoughts then.” He continued smiling. “Given what Tsukishima has forced me to see, it’s nice to have the choice on who to listen to again.”

“I bet…” Hinata murmured, he was curious at how Tobio was dealing with it all but sensed this was not the time to ask. “What are you gonna do about him? Tsukishima I mean.”

There was another shrug from Tobio. “I’m still deciding.”

Lev started sniffing at Tobio’s feet before winding himself around the king’s ankles, prompting both of them to glance down. The cold, lonely feeling in the room seemed to fade a little as Lev rolled onto his back and let out a meow. Hinata knelt down and stroked him, somewhat surprised when Tobio followed suit. They remained kneeling on the floor of the throne room as the dawn’s light streamed in through the gaps in the shutters. Lev was more than happy at the attention he was getting from the two of them. There was an odd innocence in it all.

As the others began to wake, Tobio requested everyone ate breakfast together that morning together. It was during the meal that he asked one more favour from the Brotherhood.

“You want me to mediate?” Daichi asked, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. “You want me to try and steer the conversation between you and Tooru?”

Tobio nodded, sipping his tea. “You’re wise beyond your years Sawamura. I see no-one else who could fit the role. Your guild is a neutral party in this remember, unless you suddenly wish to swear allegiance to me.”

Daichi met Kuroo’s gaze before swallowing. “I uh, I guess I can do that…”

Tobio smiled into his cup. “Wonderful. First things first, I need to get him to agree to those talks in the first place.” He set his cup down and looked around the table. “When he arrives, I’d like you all to be present.”

“Why?” Yaku asked, sensing they were being used as pawns once more.

“Because the more witnesses, the better.” He replied. “And you all know how dangerous Tsukishima is.” His gaze found Akaashi’s. “And you’re the only ones I can trust to keep an eye on him whilst my own staff are busy with the royal protocols.”

Daichi nodded. “That’s a fair judgement.” He stated. “The Brotherhood will assist you sire.”

“I thank you all.” Tobio smiled slightly. “Not just for this, but for all you’ve done. All that remains is succeeding in what I set out to do years ago.”

The meal drew to a close. It was now that the real preparations began. Whilst there were plenty of nerves to go around, there was a sense of excitement bubbling beneath them. Depending on how well this all went, the Brotherhood could find themselves being recorded as peace-brokers in the tomes of history.

 


	42. An Explosive Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I officially won nanowrimo on Thursday so I can confirm that this fic is probably gonna end up being around 60 chapters given how much I still need to write. So much plot, so many words T_T

**XLI**

**An Explosive Reunion**

The midday sun did little to penetrate the swirling mists that wrapped around the mountains. Kiyoko was confident that the conditions weren’t that different to when they first made the journey. Some of the soldiers were nervous about entering the narrow pass, but Iwaizumi quashed those nerves with some short harsh words of encouragement.

Tooru had been silent as they passed the last few villages. He barely glanced at them. Kunimi had dropped back from scouting now that they were in more familiar territory, he found himself riding beside the king he used to serve as a boy.

“How have you been?” The soft voice of the other spooked Kunimi. He glanced over to see Tooru’s gaze firmly on the road ahead, but his head was tilted to listen to his reply.

“Uh, alright.” Kunimi replied. “I mean, The Brotherhood has been good to me.”

Tooru nodded. “That’s good to hear.”

“And…you, sire?”

There was a half-smile. “It’s been a trying few years.” He met Kunimi’s gaze, brown eyes bright like Kunimi remembered them being when they were younger. There was little evidence that he was the cold-hearted king some tried to paint him as. “Honestly though?” He dropped his voice to a murmur so quiet that Kunimi had to lean over to hear. “I’m glad you’re here Akira. To have one friendly face in this land makes me less nervous.”

The pride that exploded in Kunimi’s chest at being referred to as friend made him smile back. “As nice as that is to hear,” he straightened his posture “you have Iwaizumi.”

Tooru nodded. “Of course.” He glanced up at the towering cliffs above them. “But you have both served the crown and spat on it. Yet you’re still here trying to aide us.”

Kunimi chuckled. “Uh, you remember how you basically ordered me to accompany you right? This isn’t really a choice for me.”

“But you arrived at the palace to clear your name.” Tooru’s smile grew. “And your Brotherhood told us about Tobio being alive. You could’ve stayed in hiding Akira. Why, if not to aide the crown, did you come out of hiding?”

He could list off several reasons, some more personal than others.

“Because you can only run from your demons for so long sire.” He shrugged. “And my demons were putting my friends at risk.”

Tooru nodded slowly, frowning in thought as they continued up the mountain pass. Kiyoko sent Tanaka ahead of them to ‘scout’, in reality she was sending him ahead to let the others know they were close. She didn’t show any sign of hesitation as they reached the rune, Iwaizumi scowled at it but wasn’t giving the chance to ask as Kiyoko pressed onwards.

“We’re in the city limits.” Kunimi told Tooru as they passed under the archway.

“I see.” Tooru replied. The clatter of horse hooves echoed off the stone cliffs. The valley opened up before them, the sound of crashing water was almost music to Kunimi’s ears. The lush grass was beginning to fade, the bright flora dulling as the brisk wind swept over them. The lake shimmered in the midday sun and the waterfalls roared as they rode through the forest that bordered it.

“It’s beautiful.” Tooru whispered. “It’s…” Kunimi shot him a glance as he halted his horse to gaze at the lake. “It’s how I remember it.”

Once he had stared out at the lake for long enough, Tooru spurred himself to rejoin the party. As they crossed the bridge and entered the city’s winding roads, the uncomfortable truth began to show itself.

“This isn’t right.” Iwaizumi hissed to Kiyoko. “This city—”

“Shouldn’t be here?” Kiyoko supplied with a small smile. “We thought the same. I told you that the fortress hides many secrets, one of which is how this city is still here.”

“Where are the people?”

“Tobio would also like to know the answer to that question.”

Iwaizumi got the idea that Kiyoko wasn’t going to answer any further questions herself, so he kept quiet as they proceeded up the sloping path.

Tooru was mystified at the condition of the buildings. His eyes cast over the half-ruined state of some of them; the doors hanging off hinges, the holes in walls and roofs alike. He noted the lack of fire damage to these remaining buildings, but whilst they were not in the same ruined state as the villages they had passed, there was a more sombre feeling that hung over the city.

“Tobu Misaki-Mura.” He breathed as they paused by a larger building. Dragon statues were beginning to be noticed by the men, the importance of the creature becoming more obvious. His gaze lingered on the larger building, the roof top adorned with stone dragon heads with jaws open baring their teeth. “This was…the market hall, yes.”

Kunimi raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been here?”

Tooru nodded. “A few times, back when I was a kid.” He glanced around the clearing. “This was the heart of the trading district.”

“So you know the castle is just—”

“Up the hill, yes.” Tooru spurred his horse forward. “Yes, let’s go.”

Iwaizumi felt Tooru was being far too eager as Kiyoko started the party up the hill once more. They passed under the archway and came to the open gates of Hokubujōsai. Kindaichi and Nishinoya were waiting by the doors of the fortress, both of them visibly perked up when the envoy came into sight.

“You can take the horses right? The stable has space?” Kiyoko asked Kindaichi as the soldiers began dismounting.

Kindaichi did a quick count of the herd. “I’ll put our four outside for the afternoon. We might have to double up in some of the stalls.” He said, handing Nishinoya the reins to Raimei. He recognised the captain of the guard strolling over with his horse following. “Ah sir, if you could spare two or three of your men to help with the horses—”

Yamamoto nodded, barking to four of the men to collect the king’s horse and follow Kindaichi to wherever they were being kept. The captain himself scanned the entrance to the building, wrinkling his nose as the horses were corralled.

Tooru stood at the closed doors, the banner of House Kageyama shifted in the wind slightly. The black stitching of the motto stood out boldly against a dull blue stripe. What stood out more was the orange dragon curled around itself, jaws open and ready to attack. He wondered if Tobio was in a similar stance.

Kiyoko stood ready to open the doors, waiting for the king’s party to ready itself. Tsukishima was lagging towards the back of the party but Kunimi was making sure he didn’t slip away that easily.

“Okay,” Tooru breathed, slowly blinking “I’m ready.”

Kiyoko nodded, pulling open the large wooden doors. The entrance hall was lit with braziers but the only person in sight was Bokuto. Kiyoko let out a small sigh of relief as he smiled at her. As they reached the second set of doors, Bokuto hugged her wordlessly. He nodded in greeting to Yamamoto and Iwaizumi before bowing in greeting to Tooru.

“Your majesty.” He murmured. Tooru nodded in return.

After confirming the titles Tooru held and who else he had to announce, Bokuto turned to the closed doors and inhaled deeply before flinging the doors open.

His voice boomed across the room. “Presenting to the court of Kageyama; his majesty King Tooru of the southwestern realm, the figurehead of House Oikawa, the Phoenix of the West. Sir Hajime Iwaizumi, knight of House Oikawa and royal guard of the king, Captain Taketora Yamamoto of the Tanishiti city guard and Kenjirou Shirabu, the court mage of the Blue Palace. ”

Bokuto stood aside to allow the four of them to enter. The shutters had been thrown open that day to allow the sun to flood in. Behind Tobio’s throne the House banner hung proudly, flapping in the slight draft that swept through the hall. Tobio himself was sat on his throne in his full court attire, complete with the silver crown. He was flanked by Asahi and Yamaguchi, both wearing their armour as if they were expecting a fight to break out.

Kiyoko nodded in greeting to the members of the Brotherhood that were stood either side of the room. She noted that the wall panels in the rooms above the throne room were all shut tight and Kyoutani was nowhere to be seen, neither was Aoi, his dragon.

As Tooru strode forward, he showed no trace of fear or hesitation. Likewise, Tobio didn’t show any emotion on his face. He was carefully reading the older king for his intentions. The doors leading out were closed with a quiet thud that echoed off the walls.

Tooru halted at the foot of the steps leading up to Tobio’s throne. He half bowed in respect but not full servitude. As he straightened his posture, he met Tobio’s gaze.

“It’s been a while.” He murmured. “It’s good to see you again Tobio.”

Tobio shifted in his seat, toying with the ring on his finger. “Quite.” He replied. “Thank-you for answering my summons.”

Tooru smiled. “Of course, admittedly I was surprised to hear from you after so long.”

“Oh? How come?” Tobio raised an eyebrow, sensing the Brotherhood taking a sharp inhale at how quickly this topic came up.

“Well,” Tooru glanced around the room briefly “last I heard, this place was in ruins.” He met Tobio’s gaze again. “And you were supposedly dead.”

“Supposedly.” Tobio repeated, nodding as he mulled over the wording. “You don’t exactly seem overjoyed that I’m alive.”

Tooru’s eyes widened. “Oh I didn’t mean it like that.” He chuckled. “The reports were just adamant that no-one could’ve survived the eruption.”

Tobio didn’t reply at first, he seemed to be thinking over how to reply. The lack of a reply seemed to rattle Tooru a little, he frowned slightly.

“How did you survive?”

Tobio snorted. “Through the quick thinking actions of my parents.” He uttered, bringing his hands down on the armrests of his throne, fingers gripping the carved stone as he held Tooru’s gaze.

“Ah,” Tooru nodded “I’m sorry for your loss, your parents and your grandfather…it must’ve been horrible.”

There was a pause. Suga flashed Kiyoko a warning glance from across the hall, the subtle shake of the head sent a chill down her spine.

“Yes. Of course you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you now.” Tobio’s tone was low, the dangerous edge to it sent a chill through the guild as they could predict where this was headed.

Tooru seemed confused to say the least. “I lost my father this year, I know how it feels to be on the wrong side of the gods…so I do know how you feel—”

Tobio let out a loud sarcastic laugh. “I don’t know how your father died, but at least he wasn’t outright slaughtered.”

There was a stunned silence. Tooru exchanged a glance with Iwaizumi who seemed equally confused, but unlike his king, Iwaizumi wasn’t the one expected to reply.

“Tobio, what are you talking about?” Tooru murmured. “Slaughtered?”

“Didn’t it occur to you, that my city is very much intact?” Tobio remarked. “Does it look like an eruption wiped out everything?”

Iwaizumi was starting to understand Kiyoko’s comments now.

“There was no ‘city destroying’ eruption Tooru.” Tobio continued. “Akumanokuchi spewed a lot of smoke that day, but she didn’t erupt.” He stood up, cape falling around his body, the material shimmering like the scales of a dragon. “My family didn’t die in an act of nature. They were murdered, murdered by forces your father sent.”

The few soldiers that had entered the throne room with Tooru began murmuring to one another. Iwaizumi and Yamamoto exchanged a glance, neither really wanted to show their shock at the accusation. Tooru’s eyes were wide in disbelief. He shook his head as Tobio stared him down, not budging an inch as he waited for an explanation.

“My father wouldn’t…” Tooru shook his head again. “No. No, you’re lying.”

Tobio snorted. “You didn’t know?”

“You’re lying Tobio.” Tooru’s eyes darkened. “My father wouldn’t have sent forces to kill your family.”

“Is that right…” Tobio looked to Yamaguchi. “Fetch it.”

Daichi didn’t like the feeling in his stomach as the steward nodded and disappeared into the banquet hall. This wasn’t discussed in any plans he had come up with. What the hell was Tobio up to?

“You know our families were allies, you’re being ridiculous to accuse us of—” Tooru stopped as Yamaguchi reentered the throne room with a bundle of fabric and handed it to Tobio.

“Then explain this.” Tobio demanded, grasping the end of the piece of cloth and whipping it out. The large banner unfurled and floated down. The bright red bird stood out against the light blue and white stripes. House Oikawa’s motto would’ve been stitched into the bottom but it was ineligible thanks to the blood stains. “Look familiar?”

Tooru’s eyes narrowed. “This is ridiculous.” His voice rose. “You found this banner elsewhere and are now claiming you found it here? How low are you sinking for this?”

“Not as low as your father for attacking us without an actual declaration of war.”

“You son of a bitch, take that back.” Tooru spat. “My father was a noble man, he wouldn’t have ordered a strike like that.”

“Then you don’t know your own father.”

Daichi wanted to scream. This was going poorer than he ever anticipated. He scanned the room and saw Tsukishima smirking as he leaned against one of the wooden pillars. He also noted House Oikawa’s mage looking slightly panicked, the same kind of panicked that Hinata tended to get when he realised something. There had to be a way to cool things down before someone said something stupid, but he couldn’t just waltz into the middle of two kings, could he?

He couldn’t, but apparently Shirabu could.

The court mage strode up the throne room and stood between the two bickering kings. He turned to face Tooru with a certain coldness in his expression, halting the insults being traded for a few moments.

“Sire, forgive me for interrupting, but you need to know something.”

Iwaizumi cleared his throat and shook his head. “Not the time. Not the place.” He uttered through gritted teeth, Shirabu ignored him.

“Can’t it wait?” Tooru quipped.

“Well, not really.” Shirabu completely blanked Tobio’s cussing behind him. “You see, Tobio is actually telling the truth, at least, that’s my belief.”

“You have ten seconds to explain yourself.” Tooru frowned.

Shirabu nodded, stepping aside to address both kings. “Hayato Oikawa made a mistake.” He stated bluntly. “His forces did attack, but he only found out after the fact. He claimed it was a mistake that he couldn’t right afterwards.”

“And how exactly do you know that?” Tobio didn’t seem to believe him in the slightest.

Shirabu could feel Iwaizumi’s panic and desire to throttle him where he stood. “I spoke to his spirit.”

“You did what?” Tooru snapped.

Daichi was beginning to wonder if this was all just a really bad dream he’d wake up from in the next few moments. Sadly, the situation just seemed to keep spiralling out of control.

“Well it was kind of a favour.” Shirabu waved off the very real threat to his life. “The bottom line is, Hayato’s spirit told me that he ‘made a mistake’ and I’m taking a wild guess that he knows how it happened and could’ve prevented it has he known.”

Tobio raised an eyebrow. “Huh so you’re letting your court mage practice necromancy now?”

“Shut up.” Tooru fixed his gaze back on Shirabu “I’ll deal with you later.”

Daichi took this as an opportunity to intervene. He cleared his throat as he stepped up to Tobio’s side and bowed down to speak quietly in his ear.

“May I suggest that you dismiss Tooru to the guest chambers for now? This bickering isn’t getting you any answers, not really.”

Tobio nodded slightly. “But what of Tsukishima?”

Daichi glanced to Kuroo who had been almost uncharacteristically quiet. “Let the Brotherhood deal with him for now, you and Tooru can come to an agreement later but we have unfinished business.”

A smirk appeared on Tobio’s face. “Sure thing.”

He stood up, commanding silence in the simple gesture. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.” He stated. “You must be tired after all this travelling Tooru,” he smiled almost too sweetly “Yamaguchi can show you to the guest chambers where you can rest for a while.”

Tooru seemed suspicious but nodded once Kiyoko gave him a nod of reassurance.

“Oh, and I hope you don’t mind, but I’m handing Tsukishima over to the Brotherhood for now. Once we’ve sorted out the bigger issues, we can decide who can have his head.” Tobio met Tsukishima’s surprised gaze with a cold stare.

The scout wasn’t given a chance to argue before Yaku snuck up behind him and tackled him to the ground. After a small skirmish, he was taken out of the room towards the basement of the castle.

Tooru seemed satisfied at the offer of rest. He didn’t bid Tobio any pleasantries as he left though. The air in the throne room felt heavy even once the visiting party had left.

Tobio sighed heavily as he slouched in his throne. He looked up at Daichi.

“I didn’t keep my cool did I?”

“No, but it’s not the end of the world…I don’t think.” Daichi replied. “You just lay down a few…interesting claims.”

“Claims that are gonna need backing up.” Kiyoko added, stepping up to the throne. “I hope you have the means to do so.”

Tobio sighed again. “Depends what this Shirabu guy has up his sleeve.”

“He’s actually got a lot to support your claims.” Kiyoko smiled slightly. “But we need to sit down and calmly discuss it, preferably when Tooru isn’t shocked after seeing all the razed villages.”

The remark made Tobio blink in confusion. “Wait he seemed shocked?”

Kiyoko nodded. “Like he hadn’t expected it whatsoever, yeah. Iwaizumi certainly had no knowledge of any of it.”

“…maybe he really didn’t…no he had to have known.”

Daichi put up a hand to halt the conversation. “Leave it, just let Tooru calm down. Go and take a walk outside yourself.” He glanced down at the unfurled banner that still lay on the steps. “And let me organise the next round of talks yeah?”

Tobio snorted but nodded. “Sure. I did ask you to do so after all.” He looked Kiyoko up and down. “You and the others should clean yourselves up after all that travelling.”

Kiyoko wasn’t sure whether to appreciate the gesture or not. She raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Of course, thank you for the consideration.”

Not wanting to get caught up in any further debates about the further talks, she made her swift exit. As she strode towards the door leading out of the throne room, she grabbed Suga’s hand and tugged him with her. He seemed confused but didn’t object.

After everything that had happened, she needed to talk to someone who kept a level head on their shoulders. There had been too much said over the past few days for her to bottle it up any longer.


	43. Loyalty Crisis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I forgot to mention last chapter, as it's December now and I'm riding on the success of NaNoWriMo, there will be several updates a week from now until the end of the year! I really want to finish 2018 with this fic being completed and uploaded so I've got a vague plan of updating Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays - the actual times on those days will depend on my work hours and other fun things like that (and they may be different depending on timezones).
> 
> So yeah, I'll see y'all on Wednesday ;3

**XLII**

**Loyalty Crisis**

Yaku made little effort to be gentle with Tsukishima. With Tanaka’s help, he manhandled the mage down into the cellar of Hokubujōsai. The jail cells had been ignored during their stay so far, but with Tobio’s order, Tsukishima found himself as the sole resident of the dungeon. They blindfolded him in an effort to prevent him from messing with anyone’s minds whilst he waited to be properly dealt with, his hands bound behind him.

“You must feel pretty full of yourselves.” He uttered as Yaku shoved him into the cell. “Thinking you’ve got the upper hand, you saw how quickly it all went to shit up there.”

“Shut up.” Yaku snapped, kicking his legs out from under him and sending Tsukishima to the floor that was only slightly covered in straw. “With you out of the way, things will run smoothly.”

“If you say so.” Tsukishima smirked as he sat up and leaned back against the wall. “Be sure to send my regards to both of them.”

Yaku snorted, delivering a swift kick to Tsukishima’s side. “That’s for fucking with my mind.” He reached down and took him by the front of the shirt before punching him in the jaw. “And that was for what you did to Akaashi.”

He didn’t give Tsukishima an opportunity to reply as he threw the other back down and swiftly left the cell. As they left the dungeon, they spotted Kiyoko leading Suga down the steps by the hand. Yaku wasn’t about to start asking questions, especially when Kiyoko led Suga around the corner to the hot springs, Tanaka, on the other hand, had many questions.

“Oh so _Suga_ can go and bathe with Kiyoko but if _I_ go, I’m being a pervert.” He pouted. “How’s that fair?”

Yaku didn’t want to be having this conversation. “Uh, maybe because he’s the only one who didn’t freeze up right after the transmutation ritual?”

“Hey now,” Tanaka scowled “how were we to know she’d be…y’know.”

There was a laugh from Yaku. “Tanaka, all I’m going to say on this is maybe it’s not so black and white? Maybe you’re thinking into it too much and we _really_  don’t need that. We have more than enough to think about.”

“Pft, right, but still—”

Yaku tuned out Tanaka’s complaints as they returned to the throne room. Tobio was sat on his throne still but the only other person in the room was Hinata. The rest of the guild it seemed had been dismissed. Even Asahi and Yamaguchi were gone.

“Oi,” Yaku called “where are the others?”

“Either in the kitchen or seeing to the horses,” Tobio replied. “Feel free to join them.”

Hinata was stood at the foot of the throne, his gaze hadn’t moved from Tobio even with the interruption. Sensing they were intruding slightly, Yaku ushered Tanaka through to try and find the others, leaving the duo to their conversation.

Once the door slid shut, Tobio sighed heavily.

“So what would you have me do?” He asked.

Hinata didn’t reply immediately. “It’s like Daichi told you, you have to put the kingdom first.”

“His father murdered my—”

“Yes, we know.” Hinata cut in. “And he can’t change that. You know he can’t.”

Tobio was silent, prompting Hinata to continue.

“So what I would have you do, is to put it behind you both. Neither of you can change the past, but you can make sure there’s a better future.”

Tobio eyed him with a slight suspicion. “Your Brotherhood likes to speak in weird ways.”

Hinata smiled. “That’s what makes us interesting.”

There was a small smile from Tobio. “Alright, but he still needs to know the cruel truth.”

“Only if it’s a means to a better end.”

Tobio stood up from his throne, cape falling again. “We’ll see. Come, I need to ponder everything Tooru said, and as I imagine you’re not the most helpful in the kitchen, you can sit with me.”

Hinata puffed out his cheeks in response to the remark but quickly moved to follow the king through the castle.

 

* * *

 

Time seemed to pass slowly for Suga as he watched the intricate set up of waterfalls within the cavern beneath the castle. He had been willing to accompany Kiyoko to the springs, but he didn’t assume it was an invitation for anything other than company in the otherwise empty cavern. As soon as Kiyoko had taken off her armour, which was in dire need of maintenance after so many days of use, Suga directed his attention to the running water.

They had sat in peaceful silence, the running water echoing off the walls deeper into the cavern. He didn’t want to burden her with a report of everything she had missed, he’d much rather she took the few minutes to relax before being thrown back into the fire.

“Koushi?” Her voice was soft, a tiredness to it.

He glanced over to see she was resting her arms on the side of the pool and propping her chin on her forearm, her full attention on him as the rest of her body was hidden from view. “Yeah?”

“Did the plan work?”

He wasn’t sure how to explain any of it. “Mostly.” He leaned back on his hands. “Keiji paid a price for it but he seems okay now.”

She nodded. “Good, good that it worked.”

He tilted his head to one side, watching her. The dark circles under her eyes spoke of sleepless nights, not surprising given that she hadn’t slept in a proper bed for more than one night in the past few days. She seemed more relaxed than usual, he was putting it down to the springs influence but there was a slight frown on her face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, leaning forward. “Something happen?”

She let out a sigh. “Several things…and more were said.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Kiyoko let her eyes slip shut for a few moments. “Give me a moment. I’d like to get some fresh air without feeling like I have to be somewhere in a hurry.”

He took that as a sign she was done bathing. He rose to his feet to give her privacy, even if she claimed she didn’t mind, his mother raised him with good manners. Once she had redressed herself in her more casual clothing; a loose tunic not unlike those worn by the guys and more well-fitting set of leather pants, and set her armour aside to be seen to later, Suga led her upstairs.

They found themselves at the top of the tower overlooking the city. The sun was setting behind the mountains, casting a vibrant orange glow over the treetops. The air was cold but not enough to make them shiver yet.

“So what happened?” He quietly asked as they leaned on the fencing.

She was quiet at first. Her gaze lingered on the swaying pine trees. “When we rode into Tanishiti, Iwaizumi drew his sword on me.”

Suga couldn’t resist smiling slightly. “Well yeah, you were wearing the colours of a dead House.”

Kiyoko hummed. “Yeah, but when we got into the throne room to talk to Tooru, I had to fight to speak up. They didn’t wanna hear from ‘an assassin’.”

At the shift of tone in her voice, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “That’s the nature of our position now.”

“But I used to be respected by them, both of them.” Kiyoko shook her head. “Iwaizumi even went as far as to say if he had been in Tooru’s position, he would’ve thrown me out for being a traitor. A traitor Koushi.” She looked at him with wide eyes, disbelief stronger than ever. “I fought tooth and nail to get Kuroo and Daichi to even consider going to them. I’ve dealt with the likes of Yaku turning his nose up at the very idea of warning them about the Serpents. I’ve done the best I could do for them and I’m only alive now because Tsukishima of all people managed to convince Iwaizumi we weren’t hostile. And after all he’s done, I’m the traitor of the House?”

Suga nodded, sensing there was more to come.

“He said I’m not loyal to anyone or anything…well I haven’t had the chance to prove my loyalty.”

“That’s not true.” Suga gently took her by the shoulders and made her face him. “You’re loyal to this Brotherhood, and you’ve proved it many times.”

She snorted. “How?”

He smiled. “You stood by Kunimi in that throne room and vouched for his innocence. You rode into an unknown territory with us to fulfil the task that Tooru set for Kunimi to complete. You’ve been steadfast in your belief that we should agree on our plans as one unit. You’ve stood by the likes of Kuroo, even if you haven’t agreed with his morals. You’ve sought to better us as a Brotherhood, to make use of our skills to make a living in a more honest way.”

She bit on her lip, averting her gaze for a moment before Suga’s hand came up to cup her cheek and make her look at him again.

“You don’t need to prove yourself any more than you already have.” He told her. “And who gives a fuck what Iwaizumi thinks of you? He’s got his job, you’ve got yours. His is to protect Tooru and yours is to protect us.”

“Thank you Koushi.” She whispered.

“When we set out to free you from that curse, we weren’t thinking of what we’d get in return. We did it because that’s the nature of our guild; to help those who need it if they ask.” He continued. “And right now two kings are in need of our help, even if one isn’t directly asking for it. So let Iwaizumi say what he wishes, just remember that you’re not a servant of House Oikawa. You’re a member of the Silver Owl Brotherhood.”

“I am, yes.” She smiled.

He pulled her into a hug, holding the back of her head as she clung onto him tightly. They stood there in the embrace, the last of the daylight beginning to fade and dusk creeping in. This entire ordeal was far from over, and Shirabu’s warning haunted Kiyoko’s thoughts as she slowly pulled back, still holding onto Suga’s arms as she spoke quietly.

“I suppose I need to report what I got told to Daichi, I haven’t even told you what their court mage had to say.”

Suga nodded, offering another smile. “And we should probably make sure they aren’t burning Tobio’s kitchen to the ground.”

She laughed. “They’re not that hopeless.”

“True, but Nishinoya and kitchens are rarely a good combination.” Suga remarked. “And that’s without thinking about Bokuto being involved.”

 

* * *

 

 

With Tooru’s party taking up the remaining guest rooms in the castle, the guild was crammed into their single room once more. The brazier provided the much-needed warmth as the draft seeped into the room through the shutter. Fatigue clung to most of them like a heavy cloak, the crazy events of the day weighing on their minds as blankets were handed out. There was barely a spare spot on the floor as they slept side by side, the dull embers of the fire hissing quietly as the fire was allowed to fizzle out.

Hinata had fallen asleep almost too quickly. His evening had consisted of Tobio thinking out loud about the multitude of ways Tooru could respond to any and all accusations thrown his way. He had gotten the idea that Tobio and Tooru had known each other earlier in their years, mainly the way Tobio spoke about Tooru with a certain air of respect and intimacy. The king hadn’t gone into details, but he had referred to several different visits to Tanishiti in his murmurings.

It had certainly given him the impression Tobio didn’t _hate_ Tooru, he was simply scorned. There was a sense of optimism about him, maybe the two of them could work things out?

He was aware he was moving a lot in his sleep. He kept bumping against Kenma and getting irritated jabs in return. When he rolled over he’d collide with Tanaka and be halted in his tracks by the other’s bulky shoulder. There was a skin-crawling sensation rising within him unlike any he had experienced. It was stronger than when Akaashi read his mind, it felt deeper.

After tossing and turning some more, he dragged himself up and out of the room. The only way he could think of dispelling the sensation was to go for a walk, so he conjured a small ball of light in his palm and started walking the halls of the castle. His fatigue was still present, as was the odd sensation. He walked into the throne room, the empty room felt cavernous as he stood in the centre, the shadows his light cast danced on the walls.

All at once, he felt the surge of something inside him. Intense heat mixed with pain rose up from his feet to his chest. It felt like he was going to choke as it reached his neck and continued to his head. He dropped to his knees, free hand flat against the wooden floor.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make sense of what was happening. Bright flashes in his mind preceded loud voices, roars of a crowd, the clash of steel. He forced his eyes open, glancing up he froze.

The yellow eyes of the snake met his. He swallowed, the ball of light in his hand didn’t falter as he stared the creature down. A forked tongue flicked out for a few moments before the head rose up. It didn’t look like any snake he had seen before as it slithered closer. The scales caught the light, dark blue in a hue that lightened as they spanned the length of it.

Without warning, the voice erupted in his thoughts.

_“Shoyo. You need to tell them.”_

He swallowed. His free hand flexed as the serpent continued towards him.

_“Tell them that time is running out.”_

“Tell who?” He whispered, the snake halting as he spoke and raising its head.

_“Both of them. Without both of them, all will be for nought. For one cannot rise without the other.”_

It bore its fangs at him. He spurred his fingers to spark, the blue flashes of light giving off more light.

_“The men of the north will not wait for much longer.”_

Another intense bolt of pain shook him from his core. He winced, shutting his eyes for a few moments as he anticipated the attack. When he opened his eyes, the snake was gone. The throne room lay empty before him. Gone was the skin crawling sensation, the pain and the heat. Gone was any trace that anything weird had occurred.

He rubbed his forehead as he glanced around. He really needed to get to the bottom of what was causing these ‘visions’, but it could at least wait until daylight. As he entered the room, no-one stirred, not even Lev. He found it easy to fit himself in between Kenma and Tanaka once more and even easier to fall asleep again.


	44. Two Sides To Every Story

 

**XLIII**

**Two Sides To Every Story**

 

Daichi took his seat at the low table. They were hosting the talks in the banquet hall but sitting around a large table instead of the fire pit. Braziers were lit around the room providing warmth and light, there was a light draft that made the flames dance. He was alone in the room for now, mulling over how this entire conversation was going to go. If he went by yesterday’s encounter, things were going to take a lot longer to sort out then they had first hoped.

The sound of the door sliding open made him glance up. Iwaizumi nodded in greeting before stepping out of the way so Tooru could enter. They were joined by Shirabu but he did not take up a space at the table, preferring to stand behind the king alongside Iwaizumi. The silence in the room was heavy, the visiting king did not appear to be in an overly good mood.

A few minutes went by before Asahi led Tobio into the room followed by Yamaguchi. The resident king smiled in greeting to Daichi before kneeling on the floor pillow at his end of the table. They regarded each other with neutral expressions.

Once the door had been closed, Daichi cleared his throat.

“For those of you not aware,” he started, glancing at each trio respectfully “I’m Daichi Sawamura of the Silver Owl Brotherhood and we - the Brotherhood - will be acting as a neutral party in these…talks.” He clasped his hands on the table. “I’m simply here to make sure both of you are heard and have your chance to explain yourselves in regards to any and all issues that are brought up.”

Tooru hummed in response, raising an eyebrow as Tobio nodded.

“So, with that said, first order of business?”

Tobio spoke first. “I think the obvious starting point is the matter of my parent’s true fate, or rather, how House Oikawa perceived it.”

Daichi nodded. “Very well,” he looked to Tooru “Sire if you could?”

Iwaizumi snorted but was paid no mind by Tooru who slowly set his hands on the table, thumbs tapping the polished wood as he thought.

“As far as my own understanding, as in what my father told me,” he met Tobio’s gaze “your parents and grandfather died when Akumanokuchi erupted. The smoke from the eruption was spotted by our scouts on the border who went to investigate. They didn’t get as far as this city, they saw the smoke and assumed no-one could’ve survived. And when we received no word from you or your family, those assumptions became known as fact.”

Tobio scowled, clearly disagreeing with the turn of events. Tooru kept his expression calm as he brought his hands together in a praying stance and leaned his elbows on the table.

“Clearly, those reports were false. As to what actually happened, I do not know.”

Daichi could see and hear Tobio drumming his fingers on the table. He glanced over at the other, the fury was back in his eyes as he stared Tooru down.

“Okay, thank you sire.” He murmured, nodding. “Tobio, anything to add?”

He somewhat expected Tobio to explode again like yesterday, but it would seem that he had been thinking over his conduct since then. Tobio exhaled, straightening his posture and blinking slowly.

“Well, my own account of the day is much different.” He replied quietly. “My grandfather had been preparing for the winter feast, the mood in the castle was one of promise for the festivities. There was no indication that anything foul was going to happen.”

It dawned on Daichi that other than the actual death of his parents, he didn’t know what had happened that day either.

“I was walking the streets of the city with Tadashi and Asahi,” Tobio gestured to those stood behind him “it was a normal day by all accounts. But then peace was shattered when one of our border guards tore through the streets on his horse. I didn’t hear much of his report as by the time I returned to the castle, panic had ripped through everyone.”

He took a moment to steel himself, his fingers going to his ring. “He said that there were two groups of soldiers making their way across the land, they were holding the banner of your House. The phoenix was unmistakable.”

Tooru was silent as he listened, his eyes wide as Tobio’s calm voice started taking on an edge.

“The scout then told the court that your soldiers were razing villages without mercy.” Tobio raised an eyebrow. “I hear you’ve seen their remains for yourself.”

Tooru nodded, remaining silent. Tobio grimaced.

“So my grandfather ordered the guards to prepare for battle. To defend the castle at any cost.” Tobio swallowed. “But your House’s soldiers were quicker than we anticipated.”

Daichi could see Tooru’s complexion paling as Tobio went on to explain how he witnessed the soldiers of House Oikawa slaughtering civilians in the streets.

“And that, was when Akumanokuchi erupted.” Tobio sighed. “The fire in the sky, the smoke in the air…I can still taste it.” He glanced down at his hands, he had slipped off the ring during his retelling and was turning it over in his palm. “My mother dragged me to the stables and told me that I had to run, that Asahi would protect me as would Tadashi and Inuoka. She told me I had to live for the sake of our kingdom, our House, our legacy.”

“And as I escaped into the wilderness, the volcano started spewing more ash. It was utter chaos in the city.” He trailed off.

Daichi gently put up a hand to stop Tobio there. “So, what do you say to this sire?” He glanced at Tooru whose face was still pale and eyes wide in disbelief.

Iwaizumi leaned down and whispered into his ear; “how does he know his parents died as a result of the soldiers?”

Tooru nodded quickly, repeating the question. Daichi figured it was a fair one and looked to Tobio.

“I was shown in a vision. Tsukishima’s doing. He can recall the memories of a place and he did so with the throne room. Soldiers from your House’s military murdered my entire family. That banner I showed you was in the throne room when I returned, alongside their bodies.” Tobio held Tooru’s gaze. “All I want to know is why.”

Tooru shook his head. “I didn’t know anything about this.”

“Liar. You had to. Your father told you everything.” Tobio snapped, slamming his fist on the table. “Every time I visited you told me how he’d let you sit in on war councils and strategy meetings.”

“Yeah until I was fifteen.” Tooru replied. “Then he stopped.”

“How convenient.”

“Tobio I _swear_  I had no idea this happened!”

“Then you must’ve heard how I basically died.” Tobio’s eyes alight with fury once again. “Did you even shed one tear for us?”

“Of course I did!” Tooru’s voice rose as colour blossomed on his cheeks. “I couldn’t understand why it happened, how an entire city died because of a mountain. I didn’t want to believe that I was going to be the only king against the empire, that I was going to be alone.”

There was a pause, the air was heavy as Daichi exhaled slowly. Tobio shook his head, grasping the ring in his hand tightly.

“I couldn’t dwell on it though.” Tooru continued, voice quiet again. “We had other issues.”

“Other issues.” Tobio scoffed. “Right so I just died and you couldn’t even—”

“My father was going mad.” Tooru spat. “When I said he stopped taking me to meetings when I was fifteen, it was because he was changing.”

Iwaizumi wanted to stop Tooru babbling any further but the gentle hand on Tooru’s shoulder did nothing to stop him.

“He kept talking about how the central and southern regions needed more attention, we needed more money, we needed more swords…he completely forgot about the other regions. He stopped coming to dinner with my mother and I, he stopped leaving the palace to talk to the masses.” Tooru rubbed his forehead. “He basically locked himself in with his war council until the day before he died. So _excuse_  me if I couldn’t personally ride out here to check if you were dead.”

Shirabu silently stepped forward. “I might have an explanation…” He spoke quietly. “If Tooru doesn’t mind.”

“Explanation for what?” Daichi asked.

“Everything.”

After an uneasy glance was exchanged between Daichi and Iwaizumi, Daichi nodded. Shirabu produced several tattered journals from his satchel and handed them to Daichi to flip through.

“These belonged to Hayato Oikawa. I was…uh asked to look through them once we got news Tobio was alive to check the records. Instead I found more troubling things.”

Daichi flipped through the journals, scanning the inked words as Shirabu continued.

“For a start, around Tooru’s fifteenth name-day there’s mention of a new scout. One eager to impress.” He detailed. “And in the months after his first appearance, Hayato mentions him several times.”

“A new scout, big deal.” Tobio muttered until Shirabu scowled at him.

“It is a big deal when the date of your supposed demise rolls around. Because it was this scout that reported it was merely an eruption.”

“What?”

Shirabu nodded. “There is no recording of Hayato ordering an attack, but this scout - who remains nameless throughout the entire journal - is the one who tells him that your family is dead. And I would not be surprised if this scout is the one who sent the soldiers.”

Daichi found the entry in question, indeed the reports of the attack came from ‘that scout’. Hayato expressed sorrow at the demise of House Kageyama and wasn’t sure how to tell Tooru. But that was where the entries started to become more nonsensical.

“After that day,” Shirabu glanced to Tooru “Hayato’s entries make little to no sense. He orders the war council to focus all attention on the central and southern regions, that Kitamine and other major settlements outside of those regions are ‘festering danger’.”

Tooru was silent. He was trying to remain calm but these talks had rattled him. Just how much did he really know about his father?

“So the scout isn’t named,” Tobio stated, looking to Iwaizumi and Tooru “do either of you remember him?”

Iwaizumi shook his head. “There were a lot of scouts at the time, many only returned once a year and sent letters for the rest of the time.”

“But this one had to have been around more than most.” Tobio insisted. “Are you telling me you don’t remember this guy?”

“No.” Tooru uttered. “We don’t.”

Daichi had flipped through to the last few entries of the last journal. Something stood out to him, something all too familiar.

“Shirabu, this scout was a mage?” He asked.

Shirabu nodded. “It would appear so, a powerful empath capable of making him see horrific things.”

All at once, those gathered seemed to make a connection. Yamaguchi had remained silent throughout the talks so far, but dared to be the one to speak what they were all thinking.

“Sounds like Tsukishima.”

Tooru shook his head. “He wasn’t in our court then, he was too young. We don’t allow scouts who haven’t passed their sixteenth name-day.”

“No,” Shirabu bit on his lip before continuing “but it’s an empath mage from the empire.”

“And how did you figure that?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Hayato told me” Shirabu shrugged. “He said the scout came from the empire.”

“An empath mage from the empire.” Tobio mulled over the statement. “An empath mage who fucks with the king’s mind and launches an attack on another…”

“And we thought Tsukishima was an oath breaker.” Iwaizumi sighed.

“Question is, where did he go?” Tobio slipped his ring back on his finger. “He just vanished?”

Shirabu accepted the journals back from Daichi. “He wouldn’t have gone back to the empire, empath mages aren’t well-loved there. He’s probably in the wilderness somewhere, or in the northern territories.”  
  
There was a pause as the information sunk in. Daichi saw it as an opportunity to put the original issue to rest once and for all.

“So in regards to the invasion,” he looked at both kings respectfully again “can we agree that the soldiers of House Oikawa were likely fed false orders and that the murder of Tobio’s family was unjust but equally, not House Oikawa’s wish?”

Tobio met Tooru’s gaze again, brown eyes were calm as they stared back at him. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, the silence almost unbearable.

“I accept.” Tobio said. “But there is still the matter of the border moving.”

Tooru nodded. “Well, I can have it reinstated as it once was.” He smiled. “And I’ll make sure that the tomes of history are corrected.”

Tobio returned the small smile. “Very well.”

Daichi let out a small sigh of relief. “Well, now that the major issue is resolved…may I suggest we take a break before continuing?”

“What else is there to discuss?” Tobio snorted.

“The small matter of the northern territories.” Tooru replied. “I was hoping we could come to an agreement on what to do about them, especially given that the one truly responsible for your family’s demise is probably up there.”

After a moment of thought, Tobio nodded. “Tomorrow. For now let us have these talks recorded and correct those tomes.” He paused, smiling again at Tooru “And perhaps, we could talk in less official surroundings?”

Tooru raised an eyebrow. “Sure Tobio, I see no reason not to.”

Daichi watched as both kings nodded in thanks to him before excusing themselves from the table. He sighed heavily in relief, rubbing his eyes as the weight seemed to lift from his shoulders. They were finally getting somewhere. However, if these reports of the scout were true, this was only the first drop of rain in this storm that was bearing down on them.

 

* * *

 

 

Tooru sighed as he sat down in the guest quarters. The twists and turns of the conversation had thrown him. From the news that his House’s forces had slaughtered Tobio’s family to the news his father had been the victim of an empath mage not that unlike Tsukishima. He felt vulnerable. Just how much of what he knew was actually truthful?

“I’ve dismissed Yamamoto for now,” Iwaizumi reported as he slid the door shut “apparently food will be brought up to us.”

Tooru nodded without replying verbally. His thoughts were turning over in his mind as Iwaizumi sat next to him on the bed.

“What worries you?”

“Everything.” Tooru replied quietly as he met Iwaizumi’s gaze. “For a start, when did Shirabu talk to my father’s spirit?”

“A day before Kiyoko arrived. I told him to.” Iwaizumi answered. “I wanted to get answers surrounding your father’s death. I wasn’t aware he had spoken in depth about other things with your father.”

There was a slow nod. “Alright.” He glanced at the floor, wringing his hands as he nodded again. “I need to know what he was told.”

Iwaizumi made to stand up but Tooru’s hand grabbed his and tugged him back down. “Not yet.” He breathed. “Just…stay.”

The other had a vague idea what was going through Tooru’s mind. He was having trouble believing that a scout went so rogue as to order two units to attack another kingdom. It was ludicrous. Insane. The ultimate act of idiocy. Yet by all accounts, it had happened.

Iwaizumi squeezed Tooru’s hand. “Hey, it’s a lot to take in.” He spoke quietly. “But you’re not alone here.”

Tooru let out a ragged sigh. “Yeah, I know. I just…I should’ve asked more questions.”

“You couldn’t have suspected anything like this, heck I’m sure the council will be just as clueless.” Iwaizumi continued. “If this scout was so good at deception, there’s no telling how many he fooled. Those soldiers probably believed your father really ordered them to invade.”

“How did none of them bring it up though? How did they not arouse suspicion when they returned?”

Iwaizumi didn’t have an answer. “Maybe Shirabu can shed some light on it. Maybe your father did find out but said nothing in order to prevent an uproar. You know how the council are.”

Tooru let out a sarcastic laugh. Going around in circles was giving him a headache.

“Regardless,” Iwaizumi gently took Tooru’s face in his hands and made him meet his gaze “what’s done is done, all you can do now if do right by your people and Tobio. Together you can put this behind you and build a stronger friendship.”

“You think we should ally?” Tooru murmured.

“Yeah.” Iwaizumi smiled. “It’ll rekindle the friendship you once had and help both our kingdoms flourish. He needs us Tooru, he needs _you_.”

“He has the Brotherhood.” Tooru covered Iwaizumi’s hands with his own.

“For now, but they have their own path to follow. You and him share a similar path, you always have done. At least that’s what I remember you telling him.”

There was a smug smile on Iwaizumi’s face as Tooru remembered the occasion. “Yes…I vaguely remember.”

Iwaizumi didn’t need to say anything else. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Tooru’s, exhaling as lips parted. Tooru took his hands and gently pulled them away from his face, linking their fingers together.

“Hajime,” Tooru whispered “when I said I didn’t want to be alone as king, I wasn’t disregarding your presence.”

“Of course.” Iwaizumi whispered back. “I understood what you meant.”

“Good…I didn’t want you to think I didn’t value—”

Iwaizumi kissed him again, ceasing his rambling. “I understood Tooru. And I will be here for you my king, never leaving your side. My sword is yours, as is my heart.”

 


	45. Seven Colours

**XLIV**

**Seven Colours**

 

As Daichi had made it painfully obvious to the guild that no-one was to interrupt the talks with the kings, they found themselves with a lot of free time that day. Bokuto quickly descended on the armoury and took it upon himself to give everyone’s armour and weapons some much-needed maintenance. He corralled Kunimi and Kuroo into helping him as there were a lot of pieces to be seen to and not necessarily a lot of time to service them in.

Kindaichi had more than his fair share of horses to look after, so much so that he asked some of the others to help with the daily chore of grooming and feeding each horse and them mucking out the stables. Those of them who weren’t helping were simply minding the castle and trying not to get in anyone else’s way.

Hinata hadn’t told anyone about the latest of his visions, it had been different to the others in the sense that he’d never hallucinated with his eyes open before. That and the fact it was a snake unnerved him. He needed answers, but no-one in the castle seemed to have answers. Nishinoya had shared Inuoka’s thoughts with him about the ‘older magic’ being involved but Inuoka himself didn’t seem to have any solid ideas beyond that.

So Hinata figured he’d take matters into his own hands again. Whilst everyone else was busy with their various chores, he snuck out of the castle. He could remember the path he and Tobio had taken through the forest, even more vividly once he got to the ravine they had to jump. The forest felt strangely empty that day, the warmth of the sun not quite filling the air as the wind rustled the pine needles.

When the shallow pool came into sight, he smiled. The lantern hanging from the archway creaked in the wind. He realised he couldn’t call the griffins forth without Tobio’s ring, but it didn’t discourage him. Simply being outside and away from the castle and all the politics inside of it made his head feel lighter.

It struck him as he stood under the archway, that he couldn’t hear any birdsong that day. The only sounds were the windswept pine needles and the quiet running water. Not a single bird could be heard. The quiet that had been peaceful at first began to feel more sinister, like something was watching from the bushes waiting to pounce.

To take his mind off of it, he decided to practice manipulating the water in the pool. Aside from playing with the braziers and the occasional trip to Inuoka’s, he hadn’t practised his conjuration in a while. He was much more used to summoning ice into existence than moving already present water, but with nothing better to do and no-one to interrupt him, he figured it couldn’t hurt to try.

He held out a hand, splaying his fingers and fixing his gaze on the water. Beneath his jacket, the runestones bumped against his chest, their familiar heat comforting in the chilly outdoors. He willed the water to obey his thoughts to rise up in a spiral like a vortex. Slowly, the water began swirling, ripples ran out across the surface. The first few drops broke away from the pool, floating, spiralling as they went. As he brought up his second hand, the body of water lurched, water rose unexpectedly and formed the swirling vortex he had imagined.

He smiled as it steadied itself.

_“Shoyo”_

The voice startled him, breaking his concentration and sending the water crashing down in a mighty roar. He was soaked.

“Who’s there?” He called.

_"The cave.”_

He looked at the cave that lay beyond the archway, Tobio’s stark warning came to mind. If it was truly a creature’s nest, he was certainly not welcome there.

_"It’s safe. Safe for you.”_

Figuring that the voice had yet to endanger his life, he cautiously approached the mouth of the cave. It was dark inside, no hint of human activity. He swallowed, summoning a ball of light as the voice remained quiet. With little other option and his curiosity piqued, he slowly walked inside.

The tunnel continued for a short distance before turning right abruptly. He checked around the corner to see a cavern opened up. Light filtered in from an opening in the ceiling and he could see the dimly lit form of one of the griffins. As he thought about how many ways it could end poorly for him, he heard the voice of the griffin; soft and warm like that of a mother.

_“You may enter.”_

With his entry granted, he slowly made his way into the cavern. Vines and flowers greeted him, their sense of life fresh unlike that of the flora outside. Bright blue mushrooms grew from the walls, their splash of colour welcoming in the usually dreary surroundings of an underground cave.

As he stepped into the centre of the cave, he took in the sight before him. The large griffin lay atop a raised platform of stone, vines and ivy-covered the grey stone making it look more like a woodland shrine than anything else. The griffin herself was larger than the others he had met, her mane a dull blue, antlers missing some of their points. He could see the marks of battle on her body; scars that had healed long ago but remained as reminders.

He met her gaze, golden eyes of a cat peered into his being. A wash of calm came over him.

_“You seek answers.”_

“I do.” He replied. “I don’t…” He trailed off, figuring it would be easier to show her. He thought hard about all the different visions he had seen, the latest one that spooked him more than the others, his conversation he had with Kenma about them, about his supposed destiny to help Tobio ‘see the light’.

There were a few moments of silence, the calmness of the cave not wavering.

_“Inuoka is right, old magic is at work within you”_

“But what does it want? And why does it not tell me things clearly? It’s all in riddles and…” He gestured to the air almost in frustration. “You know?”

He figured if the griffin could laugh, she just did, her tail that had been wrapped around her swished in a similar manner to the way Lev’s did.

_“Because that is the way he chooses to speak. House Kageyama’s protector was never known for being straightforward.”_

This was all news to Hinata.

“Protector?”

She nodded. " _House Kageyama’s protector - the dragon of the mountain.”_

“There’s a dragon in the mountain now?!”

_“You didn’t realise? The legend Tobio speaks of but barely believes is very much a reality. It is the dragon that causes the volcano to erupt. He angers when the kingdom’s throne is threatened.”_

This was all a lot to take in, Hinata didn’t really care for what Tobio believed at that moment though.

“So it’s the dragon that keeps talking to me?”

She nodded again.

“And he’s the one who’s been warning me about there not being a lot of time?”

Another nod.

“And he conjured the snake in front of me last night?”

_“You weren’t taking him seriously apparently”_

Hinata pouted. “Well I’m trying my best y’know. It’s hard to convince Tobio to forgive the guy who’s half responsible for the death of his family.”

The griffin snorted. _“Whether he is or isn’t, Tobio needs Tooru and Tooru needs Tobio. But both of them need you.”_

Ah yes, the destiny part. Hinata was wondering when that would pop up again. He raised an eyebrow. “So now Tooru needs me? Why does he need me? I’m just a fire mage.”

_“Just a fire mage. Is that all you see yourself as? You are more than your powers Shoyo. You are a boy who sees the good in the world around you. You show unrelenting loyalty in the face of danger. And it’s that loyalty that both of these kings will come to need in times ahead.”_

“What times?” Hinata asked. “Is there gonna be a…” he trailed off. “There’s gonna be a battle, isn’t there?”

The griffin nodded. _“The men of the north won’t wait. That’s what he tells us, that’s what he’s told you, is it not?”_

Hinata let out a sigh. “You mean…they’re both going to need me during this battle?”

_"Yes, but not necessarily in the way you think. Everyone will have their part Shoyo. It’s up to each individual to honour that part and do their best.”_  

“What’s my part then?”

She didn’t reply, instead she rose to her feet. She stood tall, slightly taller than Raimei, her tail coiled around her as she gingerly stepped down from the platform onto the dirt. Hinata stood still as she circled him a few times, halting and lowering her head level with his.

_"What I am about to show you is a premonition, a vision not unlike yours. It may seem like more riddles, but understand that much of what your future holds is down to how you shape it.”_  

He nodded, if it gave him some clarity about what was going on he was going to take it. “Got it.”

_“Hold out your hand.”_

He did as he was told, she leaned into it. He closed his eyes and felt the jolt through his body similar to when Nishinoya’s sparks hit him.

His mind was clouded by smoke, the wisps moving as if caught in a breeze. From within, three bright lights burst forth; yellow, red and blue. They swirled within the mists, almost creating vortexes

Another jolt surprised him, a bright green light appeared, followed quickly by an orange one. They intertwined themselves with the three that were already there. He swallowed as the five lights came together in a vortex, spiralling and twisting. Just when he thought that was it, a stronger jolt rocked him.

Two darker colours emerged from the darkness. Different shades of purple, both pulsing and swirling around one another. They joined the twisting mists. He felt captivated by the colours, each glowing as they swirled.

Both voices came at once, the griffin and the so-called ‘protector’ of House Kageyama;

_“Your destiny awaits Shoyo. Let the magic flow.”_

The colours brightened, several scenes flashed before his eyes; the throne room of House Kageyama, an old-looking fort, the throne room of House Oikawa, a sailing ship and lastly a white dog in the middle of the grasslands.

_“They rise together, or not at all.”_

The griffin pulled back abruptly, leaving Hinata to blink rapidly. She returned to her platform and lay down again.

_“Your future rests in your own hands Shoyo. You and only you can fulfil the destiny handed to you.”_

“…okay.” He wasn’t sure if he really got the answers he was looking for. Really, he had just been given a lot more questions. “I’ll…I’ll be back probably.”

_“We will be here”_

He nodded, bowing out of habit before leaving the cave.

He made it back to the castle in time to hear that the talks had been a success so far, Daichi had summoned Moniwa to get a detailed record of what was said. Akaashi took one look at him and that was all it took for Hinata to feel that he needed to explain himself.

“I was…” He trailed off, his boots were covered in mud, he was still damp from the water and he was sure he had caught himself on some thorny plants.

Akaashi gave him a more perplexed look.

_You’ve seen something. Haven’t you?_

Hinata’s eyes widened. “Yes.”

_Was it a vision or something more sinister?_

“A bit of both?”

Akaashi nodded. He reached out and took Hinata’s hand before tugging him towards Inuoka’s chambers. Hinata hadn’t seen Akaashi up close since the ritual but he could feel the raised scars on his hand. He was brought into the mage’s quarters, he was surprised to find Kenma and Nishinoya.

“I found him.” Akaashi stated, letting go of Hinata’s hand and ushering him into the room.

Hinata glanced around. “You were looking for me?”

Kenma nodded as Nishinoya closed the door and stood in front of it. “Yeah, we’ve been looking for you.”

There was an uneasy feeling in Hinata as the mages around him didn’t seem their usual relaxed selves. He could feel the prickling in his fingers as the fight or flight instinct was rising.

“So what’s all this about?” He asked.

Inuoka cleared his throat. “Well, you went to talk to the griffins.” He stated, getting straight to the point. “I have a rune in the forest if you’re wondering how I know. Why’d you go alone?”

Hinata swallowed. “I wanted to ask them about my visions.”

“And what did they say?” Kenma pressed. This was feeling more like an interrogation than a friendly conversation.

“She said that…” Hinata wasn’t sure how he was meant to explain any of it to them. “She said that it was the dragon in the mountain.”

“Dragon in the mountain.” Kenma repeated, an edge to his voice. “As in the same dragon that the legend speaks of?”

“Yes. The protector of House Kageyama? I don’t know the legend?”

Inuoka cleared his throat before launching into an explanation. “The legend basically dictates that there was a dragon that House Kageyama kept as a pet, the dragon would protect them in battle as well. During one encounter however, it suffered a fatal wound. With the last of its strength, it flew to the volcano and threw itself in. House Kageyama’s burial rites mean that bodies are cremated so the spirit is released so the people of the kingdom believed that the volcano houses the spirit of the dragon. Which is why the volcano erupting is notable, because it only seems to erupt when the throne is in danger.”

There was a pause as Kenma and Akaashi exchanged glances. “So she told you the protector of House Kageyama speaks to you. What does it want from you?”

There was no sense in not telling them. Hinata recounted the latest of his visions, complete with the snake detail. Akaashi stiffened at the mention of it, his brow furrowing further at the mention of ‘the men of the north’. Hinata continued babbling about his encounter with the griffin and everything she said, right down to the premonition.

“Wait wait wait.” Nishinoya interjected. “You saw seven colours and then a load of scenes?”

Hinata nodded. “She said it would seem like more riddles, and that I have the power to change some of it?”

Inuoka swallowed, there was a sense of excitement building as he connected the dots. Nishinoya met his gaze and nodded slightly, the corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile.

“What’s wrong?” Hinata asked whilst everyone remained quiet.

“Can…can Akaashi recall what you saw?” Kenma asked, glancing between the two of them. Akaashi nodded, shaking off the slight hesitation at reading another’s thoughts again.

He pressed his hand to Hinata’s forehead and focused. Sure enough he found himself watching the same vision Hinata had described; the swirling mists that began to flush with colour as the lights burst forth. The twisting vortex of seven different colours mystified him. With a sudden burst of white light he saw the five scenes; the throne room of Hokubujōsai, the throne room of the Blue Palace, an old fort on a hillside, the sailing ship and the white dog in the middle of some grasslands.

_“They rise together, or not at all”_

As he pulled his hand back, Hinata’s bright eyes found his. They waited for him to regain his composure before he spoke.

“Hinata’s right. He saw seven coloured lights followed by five scenes. I recognised the throne rooms and have half an idea about the sailing ship, but the other two; not so much.”

“Seven colours.” Nishinoya repeated.

“Why is the number important?” Hinata puffed out his cheeks.

Inuoka retrieved a book from his bookshelf. Kenma let out a small chuckle as he flipped through the pages. “It’s important Shoyo, because if the griffin’s premonition is to be believed,” Inuoka found the page he was looking for, the vague notes on a particular class of mage seldom seen, he passed the book to Kenma who showed it to Hinata. “She reckons you’re an aura mage.”

“An…aura mage.” Hinata repeated, looking at the sketch of an old man with seven different orbs floating around him. Each orb had a different ink colour and a different element encircling it. “Like the one that—”

Nishinoya jumped in “We don’t know if he was for sure an aura mage. He only wielded two extra elements from what I remember.”

Kenma smiled at Hinata. “If the griffin is correct Shoyo, you could be one of the most powerful mages of this era.”

The statement took a few moments to sink in. Hinata was having a hard time believing that he could be a mage of that class. He shook his head.

“No, I’m just…I’m just a fire mage.” He took a step back from the book. “I’m not…”

Inuoka took the book back, allowing Kenma to step forward and take Hinata’s hands in reassurance. “Hey, I said if. You still have a say in this.”

“How? If I can wield—”

“You still have to learn to wield those elements. They won’t just appear one day like Akaashi’s powers.” Kenma squeezed Hinata’s hands. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

Hinata swallowed. “It’s more…that if that part of the premonition comes true…so does the rest.”

“The battle.” Akaashi uttered. “The men of the north.”

“Hinata, you not wielding an extra four elements isn’t going to stop a battle.” Nishinoya bluntly stated. “That’s going to happen regardless.”

Kenma nodded. “You said that the griffin told you it’s up to each individual to play their part when the time comes. You still have time to think it through.” He squeezed Hinata’s hands again. “Let’s focus on what’s in front of us for now and we can discuss it further in time.”

Those words seemed to put Hinata little more at ease. Likewise, the natural closure of the conversation lifted the heaviness in the air. They began talking about how the two kings seemed to be on okay terms now, there were promising signs that there would at least be a truce if not an alliance forged. Which meant there was only one other thing that could possibly go awry; the inevitable mention of the Blue Serpents.

Kuroo had already expressed his desire to be present when Daichi spoke with both Tooru and Tobio. And with the fresh words of wisdom from the griffin and the spirit of the mountain, it was set to be a make or break conversation. Would they both agree to tackle the Blue Serpents? Tobio could easily say he wanted no part of it, but he could be throwing away his only chance to capture the one responsible for his family’s death. It would remain to be seen if Tooru could bargain with Tobio and if both kings would decide to tackle the problem together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get the feeling I'm gonna get a lot of people saying "I called it!"


	46. Hēishān

**XLV**

**Hēishān**

“Things are going well.” Kuroo murmured, watching the flames dance in the brazier, he had a tankard of ale in his hand but it had long been emptied.

“I’d even say too well.” Daichi remarked. It was late but he wanted to talk to Kuroo ahead of the next day’s talks. He had sent the others away after dinner, leaving him and Kuroo to clean everything away. What started as one drink once they were done had turned into a few more. Neither of them were drunk, but words seemed to flow more easily.

“I guess Keiji removing those memories brought the ‘old’ Tobio back.” Kuroo snorted.

Daichi drained his tankard. “But he’s okay now, no nightmares?”

Kuroo shrugged. “Kenma has him taking this brew, it seems to work for now.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Daichi set his tankard down. “Once we get these talks done, we can go home.”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “You think it’s gonna be that easy? That we can just go back and continue?”

“What makes you think otherwise?”

The brazier coals hissed in the pause. Shadows danced across Kuroo’s face as he watched the fire. “We can’t ignore the fact that they’re bigger than what we thought. Even if Tooru and Tobio agree to help, I have a personal vendetta against him. It needs to be me who kills him.”

This was the first Daichi heard about Kuroo wanting to kill. In a way it didn’t surprise him, but he couldn’t ignore the sudden turn.

“If they are bigger, say as big as a kingdom in their own right,” he mused “then we have to consider what the Brotherhood would gain from getting involved in a war between the three of them.”

Kuroo shot him an incredulous look. “They’ve targeted us and now you’re saying that we have to think about gains?”

Daichi kept his composure. “Well yeah, I have thirteen other people to consider Tetsurou.” He offered a sympathetic smile. “It would come down to a vote. And if individuals want to get involved, I won’t stop them. But I won’t force them into it either. Everyone would have a choice, simple as.”

Kuroo nodded, turning his attention back to the fire. “Right, right yeah. Sorry…I just get caught up in it all.”

A comforting hand on his shoulder made him smile. “It’s okay,” Daichi gently shook him “let’s take the case to the kings and we’ll see where we go from there.”

“And that’s why you’re the guild leader and not me.”

“You’re my equal, don’t you forget it.” Daichi hummed, standing up and stretching. “Someone has to make sure we have a little bit of chaos every now and then.”

“I’ll add ‘steal another boat’ to my list of things to do when we go home then.” Kuroo remarked. “Or maybe we can change it up a little and steal a horse or two?”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t steal anything.” Daichi snorted, ruffling Kuroo’s hair as he walked past. “Or if you do, make sure you run faster than the guards.”

Kuroo saluted jokingly. “Got it boss.”

As Daichi left, Kuroo sighed heavily. He felt positive about the upcoming conversation, but he was already thinking of what would come next. He was still determined to get his revenge, to get justice for those that he was forced to hurt in order to survive. He wouldn’t properly rest until he knew that they weren’t hurting any more people.

The door opened, catching him off guard. He met Kyoutani’s gaze, wondering what would bring the dragon tamer to the banquet hall at this late hour.

“Sup, thought I’d find you here.” He greeted, shutting the door and taking a seat across the table from Kuroo.

“And you’d want to find me because?”

Kyoutani leaned his elbows on the table, shadows flickered across his face as he kept a neutral expression. He wrinkled his nose as he cast his gaze up and down Kuroo.

“It’s about the Serpents”

Kuroo was definitely listening. “Go on.”

“I’m not sure how you got on their bad side, but I might suggest you don’t blindly walk into a fight with them.”

“Oh yeah? And why’s that?”

Kyoutani snorted. “You’ve only encountered their roving groups, you haven’t fought them on their own ground. I’m not saying I know exactly what would be in store, but I’ve heard enough stories in my time in the wilderness to know you do not want to walk up there without one or both kings at your back.”

“Stories, do enlighten me.” Kuroo smiled. “I have all night.”

Kyoutani shook his head. “Think about this, why hasn’t House Oikawa extended their border up there? Why would they leave a strip of wilderness? Same goes for the empire. Neither of them want to be directly next to the northern territories.”

“Could just have nothing to gain from it.” Kuroo shrugged. “No resources, crappy weather.”

“If you say so.” Kyoutani rose to his feet again. “Just make sure you’re challenging them for the right reason.”

Kuroo’s brow furrowed in thought as Kyoutani left without another word.

 

* * *

 

 

Dawn brought renewed optimism within the castle. Tooru and Tobio ate breakfast with the guild, everyone was calm for now. Hinata hadn’t slept that well, the meeting with the griffin running through his mind and then Kenma’s idea that he’s a much more powerful mage than he thought. He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that he could be of a more powerful class. He felt like he should be the last mage to be given such impressive powers.

They hadn’t told any of the others about their thoughts on Hinata’s powers. There was an understanding that such matters didn’t need to be aired in front of the royals. Kenma kept giving Hinata half-hugs as their first meal of the day went on, the shadows under the other’s eyes told of the restless night he had. Bokuto and Suga had asked already, but Hinata merely shrugged and said he was fine. Whether the two of them believed that was another matter.

“So, shall we continue the discussion brought up yesterday?” Tooru abruptly asked, getting a few puzzled glances from the guild.

Daichi glanced to Tobio who shrugged. “I mean, you want the entire Brotherhood here?”

Tooru nodded. “It’s my understanding you’ve had dealings with the Serpents before, it seems reasonable to have your expertise on hand as we decide what to do.”

Kuroo smiled slightly, raising his eyebrows as he drained his cup. Daichi glanced around the rest of the guild to check if there were any objections, when there were none, he nodded to Tooru. The remains of breakfast were cleared away and a few pails of water were fetched before the second round of talks got underway.

“So the matter of the northern territories.” Daichi stated “And, by extension, the Blue Serpents.”

“Is there a difference?” Tooru asked. “I’ve had conflicting reports that they are one and in the same.”

Kyoutani snorted, drawing the attention of those gathered to him. “They are not the same.”

“Can confirm.” Shirabu cut in. “They are not.”

Daichi held up a hand. “Kaname,” he glanced at Moniwa “what do you know of them?”

Slightly startled at being called upon, Moniwa swallowed as he glanced around. Kiyoko nodded in reassurance as he met her gaze. “Uh, well the northern territories are really several clans. Kinda like the noble houses of Tooru’s kingdom. Except these clans all keep each other at arm’s length unless there’s a unified threat, then they kinda operate like a kingdom.”

“A threat.” Tobio repeated. “Like an army?

“Kinda? In eras gone by, they’ve been known to attack one another a lot for disputes over farmland and other resources. They’ve not above killing each other’s war chiefs over more petty matters.”

“Where do the Serpents come into it then?” Tooru asked. “All my scouts have told me is that they’re a bandit group, am I to believe that they’re really one of the clans of the north?”

“I…don't know.” Moniwa smiled nervously. “Not much has been written about them beyond that. There were occasional moments when some of the clans would join together, but rarely would all of them set aside their differences.”

“Except for that unified threat.” Daichi stated.

Kuroo leaned his elbows on the table, gauging how much to speak of his experiences. “Well, forget about whether or not they’re a clan.” He said “What is their goal? What do they want?”

Hinata held his hands in his lap, fidgeting a little as he fought to keep his mouth shut about his recent vision and what the griffin told him. The conversation continued around him, motives for the Serpent’s actions being thrown around. A gentle touch to his shoulder calmed his thoughts.

“ _Patience_.” Akaashi’s voice whispered in his mind. “ _We’ll tell them when the time is right._ ”

As he tuned back into the conversation, he realised he wasn’t the only one trying to gauge how much to say. Kuroo glanced back and forth between Tooru and Tobio, his gaze meeting Kyoutani’s for a brief moment and getting an uneasy feeling.

“We know one thing though.” Nishinoya spoke up, getting a puzzled look from Daichi. “It’s the reason we even went to Tooru in the first place remember?”

Realisation dawned. Daichi let out a small exhale. “Ah yes.”

Nishinoya nodded, looking to Yaku. “You remember, right?”

Yaku had to think hard, but he did. “We sent Hinata to that noble’s house after I ruffled a few feathers in our search for clues.” He nodded. “And that’s where we heard the woman talking about House Kageyama being alive.”

Tobio was rightfully confused, Tooru kept a calm expression but Iwaizumi did little to hide his confusion.

“What woman?” He asked.

It had been so long since it happened that no-one could remember her exact words. Inuoka looked thoughtful as the frustration mounted.

“Hey, you said you sent Hinata right?” He interrupted the bickering that had broken out. “Well if I draw the conjuring circle, he can recall the conversation.”

Hinata’s eyes widened. Last time he was involved with Inuoka’s conjuring circles, he had a vision and nearly burned the parchment away. Kenma noted the panic in his eyes but nodded.

“You can do it.” He murmured. “I believe in you.”

Despite the twisting knot in his stomach, Hinata agreed. Inuoka immediately left the room to fetch the parchment, leaving Kenma to loosely explain what he meant by ‘recalling the conversation’. When the court mage returned with the roll of parchment in hand, the room fell silent in equal parts curiosity and caution.

“Right,” Inuoka grinned as he unrolled the parchment to reveal the circle. The three teardrop symbols that represented each core element formed a triangle in the middle. “Here we go.”

Hinata watched as the parchment was placed on the floor, he stood across it from Inuoka. “How do I…do it?”

Inuoka smiled. “Hold out your hand,” he demonstrated “and focus, your memory doesn’t have to be perfect, but the clearer it is, the better.”

Hinata nodded, holding out his hand above the circle. He tried to remember the day, the job he had been on when he heard it all. It had been a late summer’s evening, he had been sent to the house of a low-standing noble in House Oikawa’s court. One of the townsfolk had told them she heard the lady of the house talking about the Serpents so he had been sent there to investigate. He remembered hiding in the armoire, the swords pressing against his back as the footsteps entered the room.

A ball of fire burst into existence in the circle, from it gruff voice of a man spoke;

_“The King is dead. The Prince will be crowned in the coming days._ ”

Another ball of fire burst into life, pulsing as another voice came through.

“ _Huh. The brat is gonna be king, should've known the mother would step aside for him_.”

There was a pause as Hinata exhaled, his fingers were stinging as the two balls of fire swirled around each other.

“ _King Tooru, I assume we'll be pledging our allegiance? He'll be able to grant us protection.”_

_“Pledge our allegiance to that sorry excuse for an heir? No. We kill him instead. He has no heir so the kingdom falls to her rightful owner. They'll grant us protection._ ”

Tooru seemed troubled as confusion was plastered across everyone’s faces.

“ _You don't mean...but that house died out when the eruption happened.”_

_“Everyone thinks that house died out. My dear, do you really think they willingly let their heir perish?”_

_"N-No--"_

_"Exactly. He's alive. You know how I know that?"_

_"Uh, no milady."_

_“They never found the crown jewels. The heir has reclaimed his throne, he wants his kingdom back. You just gave us the opportunity to do so._ "

Hinata’s head was aching, something else was happening beside recalling the memories. He suspected the mountain’s voice was trying to punch through in that moment. He pulled his hand back abruptly, trying to keep his flames from going haywire. The silence in the room was deafening.

Tobio took a long inhale. “Well, first of all, I have no idea who that was.” He stated bluntly. “And I sure as hell had no part in your father’s demise.”

Tooru nodded. “I don’t recognise the voice either.”

“So in short,” Kuroo murmured “there’s a third party involved. Which is what we’ve believed for a while was the Blue Serpents.”

“Makes sense.” Tobio drummed his fingers on the table. “Using my House as way to stir fear…typical.”

“Until now, you’ve been dead to most of the realm.” Kuroo stated.

“Thanks for reminding me.” Tobio glared at him. “Still, this woman seemed to masquerade as one of your nobles,” Tobio gestured to Tooru “so she must have some kind of power.”

“None of our court nobles are that dumb.” Iwaizumi uttered. “They know it would be their death.”

Kiyoko chose that moment to voice her thoughts. “She mentioned the ‘kingdom’s rightful owner’, but forgive me for assuming Tobio, your house has never occupied the south-western realm?”

“Correct, they have not and I have no desire to.” Tobio shrugged. “Maybe she misspoke.”

“Or,” Kiyoko continued “she means someone else and is using your House as a cover.”

Kuroo shook his head. “It’s a scare tactic but it’s also a convenient diversion.” He looked to Tooru. “Think about it, you’ve wasted — well not wasted — but spent time over here away from your council to deal with Tobio and this mess. Who’s sorting out the Serpents?”

“Call me crazy,” Yaku interrupted “but the fact the Blue Serpents all but invaded Kitamine speaks to the idea that they think they should own at least that region. Is it really outlandish to think they want the entire kingdom?”

The answer to Yaku’s question was silence. Daichi saw it fit to run through everything from the beginning to make sure they were all on the same page.

“So what we’re saying, is that the Serpents are convinced they rightfully own the kingdom - for one reason or another - and they infiltrated Kitamine to try and lay claim to it. This woman, whoever she may be, is working alongside them and spreading the lie that Tobio wants ‘the kingdom back’ despite the fact he never had it nor wants it.”

“Sounds about right.” Kuroo hummed. “So what’s the plan beyond’ get rid of the serpents’?”

Tooru still seemed troubled as he fixed his gaze on the table. The ache in Hinata’s head was growing still as he looked at the circle. As more ideas were thrown back and forth between the two kings, the familiar voice echoed in his mind.

“ _Tell them. Tell them now_.”

He shook his head.

“ _Shoyo. Now is the time for bravery. Tell them. Tell them the voice of the mountain calls on them_.”

He let out a heavy sigh, clenching his hands into fists. Inuoka gave him a puzzled look as he turned towards the table and cleared his throat. “I know what we have to do.”

Tobio met his gaze, curiosity pooling in dark depths. “Oh yeah?”

Hinata wasn’t dissuaded. “Yes. You both have to work together.” His hands were shaking as he squeezed his hands tighter. “The voice of the mountain said so.”

Tobio snorted. “The mountain.”

“Yes!” Hinata insisted. “The mountain, the volcano. The protector of your house.”

“That’s a story Shoyo.” Tobio sighed. “It’s not actually—”

Hinata threw his hand over the circle, within seconds a large ball of fire burst into life, the flames raging aggressively.

“ _Tobio Kageyama._ ” The voice boomed as loud as it did when Hinata first heard it. Tobio’s eyes widened. “ _Have you so easily turned your back on what they taught you?_ ”

Tobio rose to his feet, walking over to the conjuring circle. “And you are?”

“ _I am the one they called protector. The saviour of your kingdom. Hēishān, the dragon of House Kageyama. The spirit of the mountain._ ”

Tobio swallowed, showing little fear in the presence of a giant flame. “I see.”

“ _But do you see?_ ”

“See what?”

Hinata’s fingers flexed as the fire shifted of its own accord. The flames spread until the spectral being of a dragon formed, it’s long body twisting around itself like a serpent but eyes alight with a bright white light.

“ _The danger on the horizon. The ones who Kuroo once called friend. They threaten your throne as they threaten Tooru’s_.”

At the mention of his name, Tooru’s complexion paled. “Me?”

“ _You must rise together, dragon and phoenix, or you will not rise at all._ ”

A moment of realisation struck Shirabu. The same phrase had been said to him by Tooru’s father.

“ _Those gathered in this room are there to aide you both. Do not take their kindness for granted_.”

The flames brightened before vanishing. Hinata held his shaky, slightly singed hand over the circle still, his eyes vacant as the roar of the dragon echoed through his mind.

Tobio gently took his hand and rubbed feeling back into it, silent as he did so.

“Shirabu,” Kiyoko broke the silence “didn’t you tell me Hayato’s spirit said something similar?”

“Yes.” Shirabu replied quickly. “He did. The dragon and the phoenix will rise together or not at all…he also mentioned something about the Hounds of Frost.”

“Hold on the what?” Kuroo asked.

Shirabu shrugged. “Apparently not since ‘the mother of the hounds of frost have the northern clans rallied before.’ And the only way to defeat them is for these two to get along and…rise?”

Iwaizumi sighed, expressing most of the room’s feelings in one gesture.

“This just got wildly more complicated.” Nishinoya murmured, glancing up at Daichi. “Can we just go back to robbing people?”

The remark prompted a few chuckles, mainly as the tension in the room had become so noticeable that even a half-serious question seemed to break it. They took a moment to pour out some cups of water, no-one really saying anything.

Tobio was still stood by the conjuring circle with Hinata, his gaze flickering over the inked lines that crisscrossed over one another. As Hinata gently pulled his hand away, the two of them exchanged a glance.

“The protector of House Kageyama huh.” Tobio murmured. “And it says to ‘rise’ with Tooru or not at all.”

Hinata nodded. “There’s…a lot at stake.” He replied just as quietly. “And really, what’s there to lose?”

There was a slight smile from Tobio. He glanced over his shoulder at Tooru and nodded to the door leading to the throne room. “A word, alone?”

There were a few moments of silence before Tooru nodded, rising from his seat without as much as glancing at anyone else.

 


	47. Reconciled

**XLVI**

**Reconciled**

Tooru had seen and heard far more than he thought he would. From the revelation of the noble in his own lands plotting against him to the voice of an other-worldly being exploding forth, it had been an eye-opening experience.

As he followed Tobio into the throne room, he let out a heavy sigh. Their footsteps sounded loud in the large, empty room, light streamed in from the open shutters, a gentle breeze catching the large banner of House Kageyama made it sway.

“What’s your take on all this?” Tobio asked as he halted in the middle of the room.

Tooru halted, meeting Tobio’s gaze. There was a familiar glimmer in his eyes, much like the boy from years ago had. He had to accept things had changed since those days, dreadful things had occurred, horrors no-one should have to go through. Yet Tobio still stood proudly, defiant against the effects of such things.

“Well,” he exhaled “there’s certainly more to this than a rogue bandit clan.”

Tobio snorted. “Yeah, northern territories, speaking volcanoes, and now whatever these ‘hounds of frost’ are.”

“What do you want to do?”

Tobio’s gaze moved to the banner behind his throne. The orange dragon circled around in an attacking stance, the wings outstretched, eyes fixed on him and him alone. It dawned on him that the dragon in the circle didn’t have wings and had a longer body. He’d have to get the banners altered.

“I don’t know.” His hand came up to adjust the silver crown. “I think the first order of business is finding that woman, then it’s probably finding out what the hell your father meant by those hounds.”

Tooru nodded. “Once we have those two pieces, it might be a simpler puzzle to solve.”

They fell silent. The murmur of conversation in the next room over was enough to stop the awkward feeling. Tooru stepped closer to Tobio, attracting his attention from the banner. When he spoke, it lacked the formal tone he had adopted the past few months.

“Hey, just for the record,” he gave Tobio a solemn smile “I’m truly sorry for what happened…I’d do anything to go back and stop it.” He reached out and placed a hand on Tobio’s shoulder. “I don’t want it to mar our friendship.”

For a brief moment, Tooru was worried Tobio was going to shrug him off and hold him at arm’s length. Instead, Tobio nodded, placing his hand over Tooru’s.

“I know.” He whispered, averting his gaze momentarily. “It still hurts, I still miss them.”

“Of course.” Tooru squeezed his shoulder. “Doesn’t your family’s burial rites speak of their spirits joining that of the mountain’s?”

Tobio nodded slightly.

“Then, surely the mountain spirit existing means that they’re looking down on you, protecting you.” He leaned slightly to meet Tobio’s averted gaze. “They’re still with you Tobio, just as my father is with me.”

The hand covering Tooru’s slipped away. “Yeah, I guess I need to go and make an offering of sorts to the spirit now.”

“An offering?”

“An apology for not believing mainly.”

“…how would you be doing that?” Tooru’s curiosity clear in his voice.

“There’s a shrine under the castle, behind the fences that line the hot springs. I haven’t been there since we returned and had no reason to.”

“But you’re going there now?”

“Later, why?”

Tooru shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Well, I think it would be fitting for me to apologise…on behalf of my father.”

Tobio gave him a long stare, clearly mulling over the proposition. He looked back to the banner, inhaling deeply.

“I’ll have Tadashi find a fitting tribute for you.” He smiled. “It’ll be nothing fancy, it’s the gesture that counts.”

They shared a smile, Tooru offered his hand for a handshake. Tobio raised an eyebrow before taking it and pulling him into a half-hug. It caught Tooru off guard but he leaned into it, gently patting Tobio’s back. For the first time in a long time, the two of them were as they were before; friends.

 

* * *

 

 

After the two kings announced they were finally at a truce, the two royal parties were set to work alongside the Brotherhood. There was a common goal now; to pool their knowledge and come up with a solid plan to tackle the Blue Serpents. Iwaizumi and Asahi were still wary of each other though, each not fully trusting the other but they diligently followed their charges wherever they needed to go.

Kyoutani was quick to excuse himself from any political involvement, stating he didn’t belong to either House and his only goal was to keep himself alive. As a result, he found himself tagging along with Kindaichi to see to the herd of horses that were taking up all available stable space. Bokuto dragged Yamamoto with him to the armoury, with Tanaka and Kunimi in tow, to continue the maintenance of weapons and armour. And the guild’s combined leadership of Daichi, Kuroo, Suga and Kiyoko remained with the kings.

As for the mages, they all crammed into Inuoka’s chambers with Lev and Moniwa joining them. Shirabu was dubious about how this could possibly be a good idea considering what Hinata alone was capable of.

“Right.” Nishinoya had nominated himself the de facto leader and wasn’t letting either court mage tell him otherwise. “So we’ve been given the most mysterious of tasks by Daichi.”

Kenma and Akaashi exchanged a glance, watching as Nishinoya stood on one of the low tables in order to make himself taller.

“We have to get to the bottom of what Tooru’s father said about those hounds.” He stated proudly, looking around the group, even to the furry face of Lev who was watching him with wide green eyes. “So…”

There was a pause.

“Anyone got any ideas?”

Shirabu rolled his eyes as Inuoka laughed. Hinata’s eyes were wide in admiration as Nishinoya summoned some sparks in thought. Kenma was the one to actually look at Inuoka’s collection of books, there were tomes on all sorts of runes and the basics of elemental magic, the occasional book of records in regards to the kingdom and several rolls of parchment that were covered in notes.

“Hounds of Frost.” Kenma stated, running his fingers over the spines of the leather bound books. “Could be another name for wolves. Northern wolves? Wolves that are only seen in the cold season?”

“Who’s the mother of them?” Akaashi asked Shirabu. “You mentioned a ‘mother’.”

Shirabu blinked slowly. “Yes. There was a grave in the crypt—” He stopped himself as he got several odd looks “Oh _come on_ , where else was I gonna talk to Tooru’s dead father?” He pouted “Anyway, there was a grave of a former queen. Dunno what House she was of because that particular part was scratched out, but it mentioned that she was the mother of the hounds.”

“Former queen.” Inuoka hummed. “Got a name?”

“Queen Wakana.”

“Never heard of her.” Inuoka shrugged.

Shirabu scowled, patience wearing thin already. “Well, of course, _you_ wouldn’t. For a start, she was queen before Tooru’s _grandfather_. Basically before most of us were beyond the age of five.”

Inuoka put his hands up in defence. “Hey, surely there would be a record or something? Like, other than the grave.”

Akaashi nodded in agreement, folding his arms across his chest and beginning to pace the room in thought. It would be easy to find the records if they existed, House Oikawa should have them sealed away.

“You said the name of her House was scratched out?” Akaashi met Shirabu’s gaze. “Any idea why?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Shirabu replied, “it mentioned she died in the revolt of the new age.”

Moniwa perked up at the remark. “The revolt?”

“Does that mean something to you?” Akaashi seized the moment.

Moniwa nodded. “The revolt of the new age, I used to have several tomes on it…” He trailed off as he thought. “Yeah, Queen Wakana was on the throne during it.”

Nishinoya stepped down off the table, hands on his hips as he stood next to Akaashi. “What happened in the revolt?”

Moniwa made a pained expression. “I don’t remember the details, but the nobles staged a coup because they disagreed with how she approached things. I’m inclined to believe they didn’t appreciate her tough approach to the infighting.”

“She died in the fighting I imagine.” Shirabu shrugged. “Daggers would’ve been drawn between her allies and the opposition.”

Hinata raised his hand, prompting Akaashi to nod in his direction. “If Tooru’s grandfather got the throne after, does that mean House Oikawa are the ones who started the coup?”

“They certainly opposed her ruling, whether they started it is another matter.” Shirabu answered.

Inuoka chuckled. “Y’know, you woke one dead monarch, why don’t you wake her up and ask?”

Shirabu glared at him. “I’m _not_ making a habit of performing that ritual.”

“Oh come on, it could be fun.” Inuoka grinned.

“Hey,” Akaashi interrupted before the two court mages could start bickering “surely there are records written and sealed away somewhere? That should be the first place we look, not the crypt.”

Nishinoya pouted slightly. “But doing forbidden rituals is the Brotherhood’s favourite pastime.”

“I’m painfully aware of that.” Akaashi sighed.

There were a few moments of silence. Lev jumped up onto the table in the middle of the room and started walking over Inuoka’s scattered notes and open books. Kenma watched his attention fix on a book spread open at the instructions for a conjuring circle.

“Maybe we’re thinking too hard into it.” Kenma murmured, reaching out and stroking Lev. “What if that’s just the name given to a group of loyal soldiers? Tooru is apparently the Phoenix of the west, likewise, Tobio is the Dragon of the east. These ‘hounds’ could just be the name given to her guards?”

Shirabu wasn’t convinced it was just a title, but with no other clues he was prepared to accept it. Hinata likewise wasn’t entirely convinced, he wanted to go and ask the griffin what her thoughts were but if Kenma was right then there was no point.

“I’m going to check in on the crows.” Kenma announced to the silent group. “Daichi sent a message to Misaki so we should check for a reply.”

Shirabu nodded. “I’ll come with, I should send a crow to the council at some point.”

Kenma held out his arm for Lev to leap onto, hoping that the cat would behave once in the presence of birds. Once Lev was comfortable draped around his shoulders, Kenma gestured for Shirabu to follow him out of the room. They paid no mind to the others in the castle as they walked through the throne room, as they stepped out into the brisk wind, Kenma got the sense that the guild’s crows might be reluctant to fly in these conditions.

Climbing the tower, the faint scratching of talons on wood greeted their ears along with the quiet caws. Lev’s ears pricked up as the two black birds came into view.

“Huh.” Kenma murmured, looking at the two of them. “Daichi said he sent one, so who sent this one…”

Shirabu watched as Kenma untied the roll of parchment from the first crow. The yellow seal of the pirate guild was broken and the parchment unfurled.

“Hm.” Kenma uttered. “So they didn’t know Tobio was alive either.” He read the rest of the note quickly. “And they’ve spotted some unknown ships to the west.”

“Unknown?” Shirabu asked.

“Probably flying colours that they don’t recognise. Could just be private trading vessels.” Kenma shrugged, taking the note from the second, unexpected crow. There was a blank blue seal on it, no stamp or identifying mark. Kenma was slightly apprehensive about opening it, something that Shirabu noted in how he paused just staring at the crow.

“Something wrong?”

Kenma kept his gaze on the bird. “This crow, isn’t one of ours.” He uttered. “But she’s found us. Kyoutani said that this tower hasn’t been used to send birds since Tobio returned, so why has she shown up now?”

“Well maybe the note tells all?”

Kenma broke the seal, it was a large note for a crow to carry. He scanned the words, confusion on his face before something caught his attention.

“…I think the Kings need to see this.” Kenma whispered, offering the note to Shirabu. He raised an eyebrow as he took it and read the finely inked words. Most of the note seemed to be a reply to another letter, but it was the last paragraph that stood out.

_"We’ll strike both kingdoms when the time is right. You’ve done well to cause infighting and we’re in your debt. Abandon them once you’ve gained all you can from them and return to us. We’ll reward you accordingly. And don’t worry about the Brotherhood, we’ll handle them. You have bigger aspirations after all._ ”

Shirabu folded the note up. “Tsukishima?”

“I would suspect,” Kenma nodded, glancing back at the crow “now it’s certain he is not working alone.”

“It’s also certain that you’ve caught their attention.”

“We’ve had it all along.” Kenma snorted. “Kuro’s demons have always had us in their sights.” He took the note back. “However, I am not going to burden him with this news.”

“You’re not?” Shirabu asked.

Kenma shook his head. “He needs to recover. He hasn’t been himself, and whilst I think the Brotherhood needs to be brutally honest with each other, there comes a time where we must be cruel to be kind.” He reached up and tickled Lev’s chin, getting a satisfied purr. “I’ll inform Daichi, and once Kuro and Akaashi have had some time to themselves to soothe frayed nerves, then we’ll tell him.”

“But we’re telling Tooru and Tobio right? This is basically a declaration of war.”

“Of course.” Kenma looked down at the folded parchment. “In fact,” he offered it to Shirabu “give it to Tooru.”

The court mage was taken aback but nodded. “What about the Brotherhood?”

There was a small smile from Kenma. “This is a declaration of war against Tooru and Tobio first and foremost. We are merely an afterthought. A pest that needs to be killed.” He pressed the note into Shirabu’s hand. “We can fight our battle in the shadows. You cannot.”

Shirabu finally took the note back, the grim tone of Kenma’s words struck deep within him. He had always thought that he was asked a lot of by Tooru, that even before he left the empire he had been dealt a somewhat hard hand to play. Now as he learnt more and more about what the Brotherhood has done to stay alive and stay together, he came to realise he had it pretty easy.

“Right,” he nodded. “I’ll get the message to Tooru. I’ll make sure you’re not fighting this battle alone.”

Kenma’s smile grew a little. “I appreciate it, but we’ve come to accept we’ve been alone in this fight for a while now.”

“Don’t be like that.” Shirabu scoffed. “Attitudes like that are what cause kingdoms to fall. We all have a reason to fight now, it only makes sense that we do it together.”

In that moment, Shirabu sounded a lot like Hinata to Kenma. Lev chirped almost in agreement as Kenma chuckled slightly.

“I guess you have a point.” He mused. “We’ll see what Daichi thinks on that matter yeah?”

Shirabu sensed that Kenma wasn’t going to totally believe his stance until there were some hard results to back it up. He took the note in hand and made a beeline for Tooru’s chamber in the guest quarters. Iwaizumi raised his eyebrow at him as he walked in and handed the note over. He took the time to loosely explain where it had come from and Kenma’s conclusion as the words were read by both knight and king.

As he predicted, Tooru was ready to order his war council to retaliate. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

“You don’t know who even sent this.” He sighed, plucking the parchment from Tooru’s fingers and examining the seal.

“No but I’ll give you one guess,” Tooru uttered “the northern clans.”

“That may be so, but we know _nothing_ about how they operate.” Iwaizumi shook his head. “The most we can do is go back home and order the war council to send scouts out.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Tooru stated, meeting Iwaizumi’s gaze. “Tell Tobio we need to wrap these talks up quickly.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes again. “Sure, but we’re not leaving until at least the day after tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because we need to let the horses rest.” Iwaizumi answered. “We pushed them hard to get here as fast as we did.”

Tooru seemed put out but he nodded. “Very well, that gives Tobio and I enough time to draw up the more formal truce treaty.”

Shirabu waited until Iwaizumi left to bring up the slightly more sensitive side of the conversation with Kenma.

“So, I think we should work with the Brotherhood on this.” He stated, getting a thoughtful look form Tooru that prompted him to continue. “They’re the ones with past dealings with the Serpents, so at the very least they might know a thing or two that’ll give us the upper hand.”

“I see.” Tooru raised an eyebrow. “Any other reason?”

Shirabu shifted slightly under his king’s gaze. “They’ve put a lot on the line for us, for you and Tobio. Kenma said they can fight this battle in the shadows, alone, but I don’t think they should have to be alone. Not when all three parties are after the same group?”

“You are aware they are criminals, right? I can’t have an official alliance with a criminal gang.”

“You don’t have to have an official one.” Shirabu pouted. “I’m merely saying, the fact they are criminals might make it easier for them to get into the northern territories and find information that your scouts might not.”

“Huh. You might be on to something there…” Tooru hummed. “I’ll consider it.”

That was enough to satisfy Shirabu for the moment as he nodded in parting.

 


	48. "You're A Liar As Well As A Pie Thief."

**XLVII**

**"You're A Liar As Well As A Pie Thief."**

The warm air under the castle should’ve felt odd to Tooru as he followed Tobio into the cavern. The sound of running water threw him off slightly before he saw the hot springs. However they were not there to relax, Tobio walked around the pool barely sparing it a glance. He approached the wooden fencing that obscured the rest of the cavern from sight, brushing the vines aside to reveal two handles. The panels slid open with a bit of reluctance, opening up the darker depths of the cave. After lighting a torch, Tobio beckoned Tooru to follow him.

Hard rock had been carved out by both man and nature, a narrow pathway led away from the springs and deeper into the mountain. Tobio showed no fear even in the darkness that was barely penetrated by the flames. The path sloped upwards, forming steps as it continued. After walking a little longer, Tooru caught sight of a structure in the shadows.

“We’re here.” Tobio told him.

Two circular pillars rose out of the rock, smooth carved stone stood proudly supporting another pillar balanced across them forming an archway. The ends of the third pillar hung out and had two unlit braziers suspended from them. Tobio paused to light the piles of kindling, the flames taking to it quickly and roaring into life. With the added light, Tooru could see the carved shrine ahead of them at the top of the steps.

An impressively detailed statue of a dragon greeted them, its body long like a serpent but it had four large feet with talon-like claws. It was curled around the shrine itself, head rising up from behind to look down on them, jaw open and teeth on show. Tooru almost felt like the eyes staring into his soul like he was unworthy. It resembled the same dragon Hinata had conjured in his flames, it made Tooru wonder if the statue had been crafted in a likeness to the spirit of the mountain Hēishān.

Tobio approached the table without hesitation. The torch was lowered to another large brazier, the flames catching almost instantly. As the orange glow rose, the scales of the dragon seemed to shimmer. Shadows danced around them as Tobio set the torch in a sconce to one side, freeing his hands up to continue with the rituals he had memorised when he was a child.

His hands found the thin incense sticks, he lit two and set them at either end of the table in their holders, thin wisps of smoke drifting into the air. There was a large dish in the middle of the table, he reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out the collection of aromatic herbs. Setting them in the dish, he brought the torch back to set them alight, their strong lavender fragrance filling the air as he set the torch down again.

Slowly, he reached up and removed his crown, carefully placing it directly under the dragon’s head. He took a few steps back before bowing and sinking onto his knees. He brought his hands together in a prayer motion.

“Hēishān,” He murmured “I beg for your humble forgiveness and mercy.” He didn’t move from his position. “I turned my back on my family’s traditions in ignorance, blinded by foolishness that nearly got me killed.”

Tooru watched the dancing flames warily, he wasn’t sure if he was meant to be praying at the same time or not. The cavern was quiet, the distant sound of running water punctuating the pause.

“I ask for your strength and guidance as I move forward as king. I give thanks to those who stood before me and all they have done.” Tobio continued in a hushed tone. “I humbly ask that you bless my reign and our people, that you keep us safe from the challenges ahead and grant me the wisdom to lead us to greatness.”

The brazier hissed, Tobio glanced up at the dragon’s head. Nothing had changed, but he smiled slightly.

“I swear as king, to never let us be conquered, that I shall fall upon my sword before I let my kingdom fall into our enemy’s hands. For that is our oath; to never be conquered but always feared.”

He rose to his feet, bowing once more before approaching and slowly picking up his crown. He let out a breath as he returned it to his head. He backed away from the shrine and met Tooru’s gaze.

“Your turn.”

Tooru blinked slowly. “Uh, is there any code or scripture?”

Tobio snorted. “No, just be honest.” He gestured to the shrine. “What I said was more formal, as the figurehead of the House, it’s somewhat expected of me. You however, are a guest so they won’t take offence. As long as the words you speak are from the heart, you’ll be fine.”

It gave Tooru some comfort, he nodded and fished out the leather pouch Yamaguchi had given him. He emptied it into the dish like he had been told to by the steward. Bright purple flower petals tumbled out and into the fire. As they burned, he hastily took a step back and bowed in the same fashion Tobio had.

He had mulled over what he was going to say to the spirits of those present, most notably the mountain spirit Hēishān, but now he was here on his knees he felt a sense of calm wash over him.

“Spirits of House Kageyama, and protector of the House, Hēishān” he whispered “hear my words and take heed. I, Tooru, son of Hayato, the lone figurehead of House Oikawa, humbly apologise for the actions of my House’s past.” He paused, his lips trembled as he tried to form words. “I didn’t…your deaths were not ordered by me, but I feel the responsibility rest on my shoulders as I kneel here.”

The stone dragon stared down at him, shadows dancing across its long body. He could almost feel the judgemental stares of the past kings and queens on him.

“I regret what transpired, and I wish to make things right once more. I offer my apology to you now along with my oath to aide your king in the battles he will no doubt face.” He dared to bring his eyes to meet the statue’s. “Whatever House Kageyama faces, House Oikawa will stand with you.”

Tobio tried not to show his surprise at the declaration, they hadn’t discussed it in depth yet and making such a statement at the shrine was one of the most sacred acts a visiting ruler could do.

“That is my plea to you.” Tooru whispered. “I can offer no more.”

He rose to his feet and bowed again before turning back to Tobio. He chuckled at the startled expression on the other.

“You…do realise you just declared we’re allies…” Tobio said, trying not to sound ungrateful.

“Yeah.” Tooru smiled. “Tobio, I meant it. Whatever threat you face as king, I’m going to be by your side. We share the same path after all, remember?”

Tobio swallowed, the distant memory coming back to him. “We do, but that’s still a bold statement—”

Tooru held up a hand. “With what we’re facing, it’s incredibly likely we will end up on a battlefield.” His expression shifted to a more serious one. “House Oikawa will stand beside you on that battlefield, like I hope you’ll stand by me.”

As much as it pained him to admit, Tooru was right. Tobio nodded. “House Kageyama will stand with you.” He held out his hand, Tooru smiled and clasped his hand around Tobio’s forearm.

“Then we stand united against the threat of the north.”

The brazier hissed almost in agreement.

 

* * *

 

 

The evening drew in quickly, skies darkened and the winds picked up. The castle felt cold despite the efforts of the braziers and fire-pits scattered throughout. The shutters were all pulled closed as the sun’s rays faded behind the mountains, leaving them in the dim glow of the flames. Everyone gathered in the banquet hall, the fire pits warming their faces as they ate together. There was a peaceful feeling to it all, the quiet conversation that broke out naturally between individuals from all three parties. For a while, the official titles and responsibilities were forgotten and they spoke like comrades.

After the past few days of bickering and serious conversations, it was more than reliving to simply enjoy one another’s company. It almost didn’t feel like there were two kings sat at the fire-pit. Conversation had turned to the Brotherhood’s crazy adventures, and whilst they had managed to not blurt out any illegal doings - not that Tooru or Tobio would’ve been surprised in the slightest - Bokuto had been regaling everyone with the story of how Kuroo charged into a cave without proper backup and nearly got eaten by bears.

“We needed those bear pelts, and this guy told us where there was a cave full of bears.” Bokuto glanced around the group, most of the Brotherhood were familiar with this tale already. “So this idiot,” he gestured to Kuroo “just charges into this cave ahead of me and before either Tanaka or I can follow, he’s screaming his head off as he runs away!”

Kuroo pouted as everyone chuckled. “Hey now, that’s _not_ how that played out.”

Bokuto gave him a smug grin. “Kunimi told you that there were several _big_ bears in there.”

“But _you_  were meant to enter with me.” Kuroo snorted, fighting back laughter.

Bokuto put up his hands in surrender. “Yeah, but I _also_ wanted to leave with my face not clawed off.”

Yamamoto drained his tankard of ale and playfully punched Kuroo in the shoulder. “What he means is, he thought you could handle it yourself, or that he was scared.”

“Exactly—wait no.” Bokuto stopped himself as laughter rang out amongst the group.

“Oh yeah?” Kuroo glanced at Yamamoto “so what about you eh? Any crazy shenanigans you and your boys get up to?”

Tooru raised an eyebrow as Yamamoto laughed nervously. “Well we’ve had our fair share of tavern fights.”

Iwaizumi let out a sarcastic laugh. “What about that time where you got so drunk I had to bail you out of your _own_ jail?”

“Now that sounds like a story.” Tanaka egged on, much To Yamamoto’s joint horror and amusement.

The captain of the guard cleared his throat, allowing another drink to be poured into his tankard. “Me and the boys had just come off a long shift, dawn til dusk, it had been a shit day really.” He took a drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand “And well we decided to reward ourselves with a couple of ales in the tavern.”

Iwaizumi kept quiet as Yamamoto described the rowdy nature of the guards unit he was in charge of, everything from loud and obnoxious to trying to chat up any barmaid within ten feet.

“So we were two hours into drinkin’, and someone had the great idea to prank the night shift of guards.” Yamamoto snorted, remembering something before continuing. “The markets are always closed overnight from two hours after dusk, and well it was way past then when we staggered out of the tavern. The problem was, whilst no trading got done, a lot of the wares are left out, including some livestock.”

“Oh no.” Nishinoya grinned, meeting Yamamoto’s gaze.

“Oh _yes_.” Yamamoto nodded, taking on a more theatrical approach to his storytelling; reenacting them opening the pen of chickens and trying to be sneaky as they picked up the sleeping birds to stow them away. “So we carry like a dozen of these chickens back to the guardhouse, knowing that the night shift was patrolling. We snuck in and carefully placed them on the table. Now,” Yamamoto put up his hands to pause the reenactment. “These chickens were quite docile, but the _second_ we put them on the table, all hell breaks loose.”

He launched into a more frantic series of movements. “And we’re chasing them around the guardhouse, someone’s trying to close the door before they can escape, and someone’s laughing so hard they’re almost pissing themselves.”

“And then what happened Tora?” Iwaizumi remarked with a smug smile.

Yamamoto snorted. “ _Well_  Hajime,” he stood up straight and cleared his throat, “the door _swings_  open, and the captain of the night guard is stood there and he does not look happy.”

“I thought you were the captain?” Tanaka asked.

“Well yeah, but he’s in charge of the night guard and he’s not a guy to mess with.” Yamamoto protested. “Anyway, so he walks in to see me and my boys chasing twelve chickens around his guardhouse, feathers everywhere, chairs overturned, parchment all over the floor—just absolute _chaos_  I tell ya.” He paused for a moment. “And he looks at me, and I look at him, and he looks at me with this ‘ _you are so dead when I tell Iwaizumi_ ’ look.”

“So what did you do?” Nishinoya asked.

Yamamoto steeled himself. “I calmly walked up to him, I offered the rather flustered hen to him, and I said; ‘I can _eggs-plain_. This isn’t _fowl_ play I swear, we just wanted to _ruffle a few feathers_.’ And the look on his face—” He broke off in a fit of laughter. “This guy, he took the hen and handed it to his lieutenant and said ‘I don’t find this _yolk_ funny Taketora’.”

The laughter erupted around the firepit, Yamamoto put up his hands to try and calm everyone. “So then he threw me in the jail cell for ‘ _leading my flock astray_ ’. And Iwaizumi had to be summoned at dawn’s light for me to explain myself to him.”

Tooru shook his head. “I vaguely remember hearing about a dozen chickens going missing from the market.” He remarked, meeting Yamamoto’s gaze. “You’re lucky Hajime has a sense of humour.”

Yamamoto snorted. “He certainly found it amusing when I had to grovel for forgiveness.”

Iwaizumi said nothing, merely taking a long drink from his tankard with raised eyebrows. There were a few comments thrown back and forth at Yamamoto’s expense before Hinata redirected the conversation.

“Have you ever pranked anyone?” He asked Tobio. The question gained the attention of Tooru and before Tobio could answer, the other king was quick to interrupt.

“I remember a certain time,” He smiled almost too sweetly at Tobio who met the smile with a sceptical look “when we stole a dozen sticky buns from my palace’s kitchen.”

A flicker of recognition passed over Tobio’s face before he chuckled. “Yeah, the grand dessert heist, no?”

“The very same.” Tooru nodded.

There were several calls to tell that particular story, once empty tankards were filled again, Tooru began to spin the tale of how the two kings had caused havoc in the Blue Palace one late summer afternoon.

“It was during one of your visits to the kingdom as a whole, right?” Tooru nodded to Tobio.

“The central region mainly,” Tobio answered “we went down to Kōshi for a while but we were staying in your castle for most of it yeah.”

“So yeah, Tobio was visiting for a few weeks in the summer. And during the summer months, my parents like hosting a garden party in the grounds of the castle.” Tooru continued. “So naturally, his family were invited but I believe your grandfather stayed behind?”

Tobio nodded. “He didn’t like leaving the castle completely empty of royals.” He shrugged. “Besides, our mothers were almost like sisters so it made things a little easier.”

“Quite.” Tooru hummed, pausing for a moment. “So during these garden parties, the bakers go all out, and I mean the finest desserts in the land are baked, the sweetest of fruits are sourced specifically for this party.” He smiled. “It was always a favourite holiday of mine.”

“There was certainly no match.” Tobio remarked. “I hadn’t seen cakes so elaborately decorated.”

“So where does the heist come into it?” Hinata asked.

“Glad you asked.” Tooru grinned. “So the kitchens are strictly off limits to everyone the days running up to this party, like even most of the servants aren’t permitted in there.”

Kunimi snorted. “Oh, wait this is _that_ heist.”

“You remember it?” Tooru raised an eyebrow.

“Well yeah.” Kunimi shook his head as he chuckled. “If I remember correctly, you dragged me into it by telling me to distract the baker!”

Tooru laughed. “That’s right! And whilst you were telling her this really long story about a surprise delivery of flour - or whatever you came up with - Tobio and I snuck in and loaded up one of these huge wicker baskets with sticky buns.”

Tobio was smiling as Tooru went on to describe their daring escape through the servant quarters and out a window into the courtyard at the front of the palace, narrowly avoiding getting spotted by Iwaizumi who had been searching for both of them.

“Then what happened?” Hinata asked.

Tobio took this moment to rein in the conversation. “Well, I was content to stuff my face then and there, but Tooru was convinced we had to go back for more.”

“More?”

Tooru smiled. “Well, a dozen buns isn’t much, we wanted a full-on pie.”

“Oh no.”

Tobio chuckled. “Oh yes, he wanted pie. A specific pie.”

Tooru all but swooned. “The chief baker’s apple pie.” He sighed in content. “It’s to die for.”

“And you almost _did_  die.” Iwaizumi remarked, getting a look of mock hurt from the other. “Come on, everyone in the east wing heard the baker’s cussing.”

Tooru pouted as Tobio laughed. “Look,” he waggled a finger at Iwaizumi “it’s a damn good pie.”

“I never said it wasn’t.” Iwaizumi retorted. “But you were the Crown Prince, you could’ve literally walked into that kitchen and asked, no _demanded_ for your own pie.”

“Except his mother had told the bakers to not give in to his demands.” Kunimi chipped in. “She told them he was eating too many sweet things.”

“She did what?!” Tooru spluttered. “My own mother plotted against me!”

Those gathered around the firepit were in various fits of laughter, both at the story-telling and Tooru’s genuine surprise at finding out his mother plotted against him.

“So you got caught?” Kuroo asked. “How did that go down?”

Tooru shrugged. “Well—” He was cut off by Tobio interrupting.

“If you’re about to say it was no big deal, you’re a liar as well as a pie-thief.” He fought back his own laughter. “I remember we both got a stern chewing out from our mothers and then we had to  _formally_  apologise to the chief baker.”

“And then you blamed me for it all! The cheek!”

Tobio gestured wildly to Tooru. “You were the one who was all like ‘let’s go and steal some food Tobio, it’s a great idea Tobio, we won’t get into trouble because we’re princes.’ So _of course_  I blamed you.”

Kunimi wetted his lips as he decided whether or not to chip in again. “What was it your mother said Tooru? ‘What made you think sneaking into the kitchen was possibly a good idea?’”

Iwaizumi laughed. “Yeah that is what she said, and if I recall, our leader of House Oikawa here said something along the lines of ‘I was teaching Tobio how beneficial it is to know the escape routes out of one’s own castle.’”

“I mean,” Tooru said, sensing he was being made a mockery of “am I wrong?”

“That doesn’t justify stealing apple pies from the baker!”

Yaku snorted. “And you call us criminals.”

Howls of laughter erupted from around the firepit, some of it could be blamed on the amount of ale consumed, but hearing the stories of when both the current kings were younger, more naive about how cruel the world could be made them seem more like normal people. Sat around the fire-pit, they didn’t feel like two royal parties and a guild of criminals, they felt more like adventurers who happened upon each other in a tavern and started exchanging stories. One could almost see the seeds of friendship being sown as titles and past actions were forgotten between the ale and the anecdotes.


	49. Rebuilding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I might rename this chapter in a few days because it was literally the only one I could come up with at 1am this morning when I was uploading this chapter x3 and I kinda dunno if i'm happy with it but hey-ho!)

**XLVIII**

**Rebuilding**

With the merriment in the banquet hall lasting late into the night, a somewhat crucial detail was overlooked. It was only when the early dawn’s light bathed the castle in a warm light that anyone realised. Yaku and Kindaichi were the first to rise, the dozen or so horses that needed to be prepared for travel needed feeding and matched to their riding gear. However, Yaku felt a strange need to check the dungeon. As he dragged Kindaichi down the stairs to the underbelly of the castle, the stench of burnt metal caught their noses.

“This doesn’t feel right.” Kindaichi uttered as Yaku strode through the door to the jail cells. He halted in his tracks, the dancing flame of the torch mounted on the wall gave all the light he needed to take in the scene ahead of him.

Twisted iron bars had been bent out of shape, melted and warped under an intense heat. The cell was empty with no sign of Tsukishima.

“Fuck.” Yaku hissed, Kindaichi stepped forward to look at the twisted nature of the bars. “When… _how_ did he do this?”

Kindaichi hesitantly pressed the pad of his finger to the metal, it wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cold either. “He’s not been gone long.”

That was all Yaku needed to hear. “Right, you tell the others. I’m going after him.”

“Morisuke that’s a terrible—”

“I don’t care!” He snapped, already making his way up the stairs with Kindaichi following him. “I can’t let that bastard escape.”

Kindaichi was powerless to stop the other rushing to the stables and quickly saddling his horse. Amaya seemed confused at the flurry of activity but quick to respond to her owner’s demands. Yaku wasn’t sure where Tsukishima was headed, but he could make an educated guess that he was going north based on what had been spoken about.

He spurred her to a canter, mindful that the pine forests behind Hokubujōsai were unchartered territory for him. In his mind, he knew that this was an insane plan by his standards, that Tsukishima was clearly a powerful mage and more than capable of killing him. However, with everything at stake, Yaku was willing to be the one to give chase. He knew that Kuroo would’ve done the same thing.

It was a cold morning, the sunlight provided some warmth but not enough to stop him shivering as he slowed Amaya to a trot. The forest was quiet. He wasn’t blessed with magic in his veins, but he liked to think he was a good tracker, that being said he hadn’t exactly taken the time to look for footprints or disturbed ground before he raced off.

“…gods be damned…” he breathed, halting Amaya. “Where are you headed you little shit…”

A snapping twig caught his ear, he slowly scanned the area. He felt a presence, not unlike the one in the marshlands. He felt the hairs on his neck stand on end in response. A flash of purple caught his eye, he honed in on the horse-like creature stalking the forest floor. Clumps of moss hung from large antlers, hooves turned up the loose dirt, wings batted against the tree trunks that grew close together. The bright purple tail dragged along the floor, picking up twigs and leaves in its wake. Yaku wasn’t sure what he was looking at, but it seemed aware of his presence.

Amaya was all too happy to walk parallel to it, giving Yaku some comfort that it wasn’t inherently dangerous. They walked for a while, the creature barely changing course except to avoid fallen trees or gaps too small to fit through.

It halted, turning its head to meet Yaku’s gaze. The cat-like eyes striking a mixture of fear and curiosity within Yaku.

_"The one you seek is gone.”_

Yaku felt his spine tingle at the sensation of being spoken to like this. He swallowed, nodding belatedly.

“Where’s he gone to?”

It continued to hold his gaze, the cold breeze whipping through the forest ruffling the purple fur that covered its torso.

_"North. That is all we know. He is part of a bigger threat.”_

Yaku was starting to understand how Hinata had trouble understanding any of his visions, if they were all filled with riddled speech like this creature, it was no wonder the mage came across as more than eccentric.

“So what do we do now?”

The creature wheeled around, facing him for the first time. It made a slow advance, getting a little too close for comfort. Amaya didn’t seem fazed, Yaku wondered if she was too scared to move.

_"You trust that everyone will play their part when the time comes. One man does not make an army, but an army can be brought down by the actions of one man.”_

“An army huh.” Yaku breathed, the creature seemed to nod in agreement. “How much time do we have?”

Yellow eyes regarded him with a steady gaze.

_"Enough to stand a chance at meeting them on the battlefield as equals.”_

Yaku scowled slightly, the lack of actual answers was starting to annoy him. He nodded, sensing that this was as far as the conversation would be going. Sure enough, the creature turned away and began making its way deeper into the forest. After remaining for a few moments, Yaku urged Amaya to turn back with haste.

When he got back to the castle, there was a heavy feeling in the air. Both kings had been summoned to the dungeon and were looking over the damage to the cell. Kuroo and Daichi were also present, neither had much to say that hadn’t already been said. As Yaku joined them, he got the sense that no-one had anticipated this.

“You mean you didn’t know he could use elements?” Tooru asked Tobio.

“No.” Tobio gravely replied. “He hadn’t used them in my presence at all. I thought he was like Akaashi in the sense that his powers were heavily weighed in empathic magic.”

Kuroo met Yaku’s gaze. “Any sign of him?”

Yaku shook his head. “I think I met one of those griffins in the forest,” he got a confused look from Tobio “it said he was long gone.”

Tobio sighed. “They couldn’t have stopped him. He probably didn’t even know he was spotted. Where was he headed though, he had to have known he’d be hunted down in either kingdom.”

Kuroo swallowed. “It’s pretty obvious, he’s gone to the north.”

Tooru nodded, the letter Shirabu had given him came to mind but so did the remark that Kuroo wasn’t to know about the details of that letter.

“I think,” he said quietly “I need to return to Tanishiti.” He met Tobio’s gaze. “It’s obvious we’re on the cusp of something much bigger. I need to explain everything to my war council, the past, the present and the possible future.”

“Of course.” Tobio nodded, glancing around the empty jail cell. “And I need to start rebuilding.”

“That’s going to be a long road, especially given how few are in your House.”

Daichi cleared his throat, summoning their attention. “We’ll be staying, at least for now.”

Kuroo and Yaku shot him incredulous looks. “Uh,” Kuroo put his hands on his hips “since when?”

Daichi didn’t miss a beat as he replied. “Since we have little else to do except wait for the Serpents to show themselves.” He wasn’t smiling when he looked to Kuroo. “And it’ll keep us busy enough to not warrant anyone going off on crazy missions of vengeance.”

Kuroo got the idea Daichi didn’t wholly trust him not to run off in the middle of the night to drag Tsukishima back by himself.

Tobio nodded. “I appreciate all your help. Hopefully I won’t require such assistance for too long. I’d hate to keep you from your…usual business?”

Yaku had to chuckle. “Usual business…that’s a nice way of putting it.”

Tooru was already making his way to the stairs, mind already focusing on how to explain any and all of this to his lords and ladies of the council. It was going to require hard evidence but none that would incriminate anyone other than the mysterious scout who caused all this bloodshed and hurt.

“Hajime.” He greeted his knight in the throne room. “He’s gone. We need to leave for home.”

Iwaizumi swallowed. “Understood. I’ll rally the men and we can leave by midday.”

“Good. I want us back in the city as quickly as the horses can take us.”

“Of course sire.”

Before he could continue with his preparations, Tooru was joined by Tobio. The still closed shutters of the throne room made everything feel gloomy, not that it was hard given the sudden twist in circumstances.

“Before you go,” Tobio murmured “swear to me that you’ll be cautious of who you trust back home.”

“I swear.” Tooru murmured back. “You won’t be attacked by us as long as I’m on the throne.”

Tobio snorted. “I wasn’t strictly saying that for my safety.” He paused. “You’re about to go back and tell your council that everything they thought they knew has been a lie. Not all of them will be willing to accept it and there is still a rogue noble set on murdering you.”

“I can look after myself Tobio.”

“It was merely a reminder.”

“A reminder I didn’t quite need, but thank-you.”

Tobio nodded, continuing on his way to inform his own people of the development. Tooru stood in the empty throne room for a few moments, eyes roving over the stone seat and the banner hung behind it. He had sworn to stand beside that banner in any battle both Houses faced, but the battle he was facing back home he would be facing almost entirely alone.

To admit he was scared wasn’t an option, but that didn’t stop the twisting knot in his stomach.

 

* * *

 

Considering all that had happened, the news that Tsukishima had escaped wasn’t met with hostility. There was an odd feeling in the air as Kuroo and Daichi told the rest of the guild, it was almost like no-one was surprised.

“I mean,” Kunimi sighed “he proved himself many times to be good at whatever he does, mostly fucking with people but still.”

“But no-one saw him use elemental powers.” Kuroo shrugged. “So for him to break out of the dungeon by using them is the more surprising part.”

Suga snorted. “It’s obvious that he figured he was gonna be punished for his crimes so he bolted whilst no-one was around.”

Daichi nodded but wanted to move on from this solemn subject. “So Tooru is beginning the journey home later, I’ve told Tobio we’ll remain for a while.” He waited for the outrage but the guild was quiet and accepting. “I’m hoping it’ll only be a for a few more days whilst he sets his focus on rebuilding.”

“Rebuilding,” Akaashi stated, there was an air of scepticism in his voice “what will we be doing?”

Daichi could understand the tone. He listed off the various aspects of the kingdom that needed to be rebuilt before the border move was finalised in writing. Most of them revolved around opening a line of communication with Tooru by restocking the birds in the rookery, preparing the food stocks for the upcoming cold season and laying out a plan to start clearing the rubble from the city.

“So in short,” he finished “some of you will be inspecting the state of the city and seeing which buildings can be salvaged and which ones are better off being torn down for materials. Some of you will be sitting in talks with the king and the rest will be helping source food and ravens.”

“And then we can go home?” Kenma asked.

Daichi smiled. “Yes, then we can go home.”

The simple answer made everyone smile a little. The idea of returning home after all this craziness was a welcome one, even if it meant they had to do some menial work along the way. As the day was young, they were quick to set themselves to work; Bokuto was placed in charge of the ‘city squad’ which consisted of Tanaka, Nishinoya, Kenma and Hinata. Those sent to get food were under Suga’s guidance which included Kiyoko, Akaashi, Kunimi and Kindaichi. And finally Daichi and Kuroo would be joined by Moniwa in talking to Tobio and his staff, it was decided that Moniwa would take Lev with him rather than letting the cat wander the streets of the city.

Venturing out into the city, Bokuto was eager to explore the narrow streets and passageways, with the slightly more eccentric members of the Brotherhood at his command, it was only a matter of time before the feeling of being on an ‘official’ assignment was forgotten. Kenma was tasked with making notes in a ledger Yamaguchi had handed to him, complete with a brief description of the districts. He was thankful for it as they made their way down the main road they had ventured up on their arrival.

“So,” Bokuto paused, the rather unscathed building they had spotted in their way in had certainly piqued his interest “where are we?”

Kenma raised an eyebrow as he smiled. “This was the old market square.” He gestured to the big building with the dragon statues on the roof. “This was the main exchange hall.”

“Are you sure?” Nishinoya wrinkled his nose. “Seems too posh.”

Hinata approached the doors of the building, he ran his fingers over the intricate carvings. He tried to push them open but they were sealed tight.

“Either way,” Tanaka shrugged “it’s locked up so just write down that it’s still standing.”

Kenma nodded, marking the parchment with the charcoal. As they moved through the city, they made notes on which buildings were beyond saving; their walls in ruins, roofs completely fallen through and the like. Most of the buildings that still stood were in good condition, the odd subsiding wall were occasionally causes for concern but on the whole, the city was very much still standing proud.

“I wanna go up there!” Hinata stated, pointing to the raised walkways. Nishinoya grinned and nodded in agreement. It took a few minutes to find the way up, a spiral staircase that wrapped around a square tower, but once upon the first floor the walkway opened up to them. There was a debate about how sturdy they were after all this time, but Hinata being the lightest was sent across. The ropes supporting the wooden planks creaked a little but the entire bridge held up without even swaying.

From then on, it was like a new lease of life had been breathed into them. Hinata and Nishinoya took off almost immediately, exploring the suspended bridges connecting the ageing towers. Tanaka was hot in pursuit trying not to lose them, Bokuto hollered across the walkways at them to wait up for him and Kenma who ‘were actually doing what Daichi told them to do!’ but found himself drowned out by the sound of the river running through the city.

Kenma laughed as he pouted, the pout not lasting long before Bokuto himself chuckled.

“It’s nice, y’know?” He murmured, watching the more energetic trio charge around the upper levels of the district.

“Just having fun?” Kenma offered. “Yeah, it is.”

“It’s as the Brotherhood should be.”

There was a loud exclamation from Hinata that prompted Bokuto and Kenma to hurry and rejoin them, when they eventually caught up to the others they were met with the view of the waterfalls. From the height of the tower, they could see into the cavern that housed the lake. The roar of the crashing water was hard to talk over, but in a way words couldn’t describe the scene in front of them nor the feeling they got when they gazed at it. Beyond the lake the mountain pass loomed, snow dusted the peaks and some of the pine trees that fought to grow on the shallow cliffs.

“I can see why you’d want to live here.” Tanaka sighed.

“Yeah,” Bokuto hummed, leaning on the fencing “except it’s gonna get real fucking cold in a few weeks.”

“Gods yeah.” Tanaka snorted “how do they manage it?”

As they gazed out over the untouched nature, the sound of horse hooves rose over the thundering water. Looking to their left, they saw Tooru’s party moving at a brisk pace over the bridge and into the forest that led to the mountain pass.

“Well they ain’t hanging around.” Nishinoya remarked.

“Not surprised.” Bokuto shrugged. “He’s got a huge mess to clean up back home.”

“And he isn’t gonna solve it by being here.” Kenma added.

Hinata watched as the horses moved through the trees and eventually disappeared from view. It would be the last time they’d see the king of the southwestern kingdom for a while, but there was a sense that the next time they saw each other it would be under much more dire circumstances.

“Come on then,” Bokuto declared, gently pushing Tanaka to get him to start walking “we have two more districts to inspect before sundown.”

With a certain amount of reluctance to leave the pretty sight, they adhered to Bokuto’s wishes. The sprawling city needed to be inspected and the final report given to Yamaguchi so repairs could begin. Everyone was pulling their weight to try and get Tobio into a position to rule his kingdom properly once they left, which meant they were starting to become more friendly with his staff.

Considering their first conversation had been during a duel, Daichi and Asahi had found common ground in doing what was best for Tobio. There was a mutual respect for each other that was beginning to let their guards down a little more with one another.

Whilst Moniwa was carefully recording Tobio’s account of the day his parents died, Asahi beckoned Daichi to follow him down to the armoury, sensing neither of them needed to be present to hear the account for the third or fourth time. The room felt empty, the swords and armour on show had barely been moved in recent days, some had been left so long that dust and cobwebs were settling on them.

Asahi gazed around the room, the brazier suspended from the ceiling hadn’t been lit that day so the dim light that filtered through the thin walls was all that prevented them from being in complete darkness.

“We used to have a big guards unit here.” He stated. “I considered them almost like a second family.”

Daichi nodded. “Was your father in the guards then?”

“Yeah, and they saw my potential from a young age.” He chuckled, flexing his biceps. “Built like a warhorse is what they used to say.”

“I can imagine it was hard though.” Daichi paced towards a rack of swords. “Being tipped to be a royal guard from so young.”

There was a shrug. “The crown princess wanted Tobio to have someone his own age. It would’ve been easy to assign an already decorated soldier to his side but she was worried there wouldn’t be a connection between them.”

Daichi nodded. “A strong connection can mean life or death in some situations.”

“Yeah.” Asahi sighed, placing his hands on his hips and glancing around the room again. “Times were simpler when Tobio was just a prince.”

It struck Daichi that it wasn’t only Tobio who lost family in the catastrophe. Sure he bared the burden more as the king, but both Asahi and Yamaguchi no doubt lost everyone they knew.

“Oh yeah?” He ran his fingers over some chainmail on an armour stand. “What was it like, growing up here?”

“Cold.” Asahi joked, getting a chuckle out of Daichi. “The winters are very cold, and considering both mine and Tobio’s name-days are within it, it’s quite a chilly experience.”

“Tobio’s name-day is coming up?” Daichi hadn’t thought to ask about such a detail.

“Yeah, the 22nd of the second month.” Asahi smiled. “He doesn’t think too much about it now, but we used to celebrate it alongside the winter feast.”

“Winter feast?” Daichi was starting to realise how little they knew about this kingdom.

Asahi’s smile grew a little more. “The past kings and queens of House Kageyama made a point to bring some warmth to the cold season. We’d build a large fire in the main market square, the palace kitchens would bring out the finest cuts of meat they had and we’d feed the entire city for one night.” His eyes were bright as he recalled the past. “For that one day, from dusk until dawn, there was no line between king and commoner. It was the day that the king would talk to anyone and everyone who wanted to talk. There were no off-limit topics.”

“So he’d listen to the people as if he were their friend?”

“Mhm.” Asahi moved to the centre of the sunken floor. “It was more of a time to reflect, a time to be thankful for the bountiful harvests and the peace within the kingdom. Tobio was always timid during it, trying to shy away from those wanting to talk to him.”

“Timid?”

“He was always a shy boy, I could relate. Tadashi and I would coax him to at least attend the bonfire in the evening and enjoy the cooked food. The sheer amount of people wanting to see him spooked him I think.” Asahi shrugged. “He was third in line to the throne at the time, in his mind he was going to be a seasoned adult by the time he sat on that throne.”

“And how things changed so quickly.” Daichi hummed, turning to meet Asahi in the centre of the room. “Do you think he’d be willing to carry on the tradition?”

“The winter feast?”

“Yeah,” Daichi smiled “it might do some good, bring some warmth to the kingdom after everything that has happened.”

Asahi paced for a few moments, mulling it over. “We don’t have anyone to serve.” He remarked.

“Not yet,” Daichi folded his arms across his chest. “Once Tooru redraws the border, I’ll send some of the guild out to spread the word. You might be surprised at how the people respond.”

There were a few moments of silence as Asahi seemed to mull the idea over.

“I’ll see what Tobio says.” He replied. “He might be more willing than I give him credit for.”

Daichi smiled. “People will surprise you, that’s one of the things I’ve learnt over these last few years in my line of work.”

“I dare not ask how you came to learn that.” Asahi hummed. “I get the feeling it involves murder.”

“Well…a little. And a few boat thefts, kidnappings, dragon taming…” Daichi listed off as Asahi chuckled.

“You’re certainly something Sawamura.”

“So I’ve been told.”

 


	50. Going Home

**XLIX**

**Going Home**

Riding with haste, Tooru managed to return to his capital city within two days of leaving Tobu Misaki-Mura. Shirabu had sent a raven forth to inform the council there was to be a meeting as soon as Tooru returned. It was late in the afternoon when they arrived at the gates to the city, the warmth of the day had faded and a chill hung around the streets. The horses trotted through the streets, the people who were still out and about bowed as Tooru passed, he nodded in greeting but his mind was firmly on what he was to say to his council.

He didn’t miss a beat as he halted his horse at the steps to the castle. With Iwaizumi at his side, he strode through the halls towards the large ballroom that hosts his council meetings. The raised voices of palace guards announced his arrival and spurred the serving staff into action.

As the large doors opened, the table opened up to him. His council of lords and ladies rose from their seats and bowed in greeting. He held up his hand to put them at ease and took his own seat, still wearing his travelling clothes.

“So,” he stated, glancing around the table “Tobio is very much alive.”

He went on to tell them everything he had learnt, everything said and arguments that were had. There were sceptical glances exchanged across the table but no-one dared to interrupt. Once he had finished setting the records straight in regards to the invasion, he paused for their thoughts.

“What of Tsukishima?” Lord Honjou asked. “He’s a traitor and must be punished.”

Tooru smiled. “He will be punished, once we get hold of him. He absconded from Tobio’s dungeon by using magic but we have a pretty clear idea of where he’s headed.”

“Where?” Lord Makino’s voice rose. “I’ll personally lead a unit there to get him myself, sire.”

“Not necessary.” Tooru waved him off. “The Brotherhood may be the ones sent to collect. They may even kill him on the spot if they’re told to.”

Lady Suzuki made a face. “The Brotherhood? You mean the same guild that battle-maiden who burst into the council room is from?”

“The very same.” Iwaizumi nodded. “Tsukishima has made an enemy of them too.”

She scoffed. “Your majesty, you can’t employ a guild of assassins to capture a traitor of the crown.”

Tooru raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“It should be your soldiers bringing him to your throne to be judged.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “Not a group of vigilantes.”

Tooru nodded. “I see your point, however I must disagree. Because Tsukishima is currently heading towards the northern territories.” There were more confused glances exchanged. “Yes, I know it sounds crazy but between the three parties sat at that table, this was the conclusion we came to.”

“So in short,” Lord Honjou added “sending our banner-men would be an act of war.”

“Exactly.” Tooru clasped his hands together on the table. “The Brotherhood aren’t strictly sworn to serve either royal House, therefore even if on our business, they wouldn’t be an invading force.”

Lady Suzuki didn’t seem convinced. “I still think it’s wrong that a guild like that should be trusted with this.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Milady, with all due respect, have you met them?”

“No.” She wrinkled her nose. “I shouldn’t want to either.”

Tooru put up a hand to cease the bickering. “Regardless, they will be the ones sent. The only other matter I need to make you all aware of is that I formally declared us an ally of House Kageyama.”

“What?” Lord Honjou spluttered. “Your majesty are you sure that’s wise?”

Lord Makino nodded in agreement. “The people will demand to know what prompted such a decision.”

Tooru’s jaw clenched at Lady Suzuki snorted. “I have to agree with those two brutes,” she uttered “I cannot see why this would seem like a smart move.”

As the three of them seemed locked in agreement, the only other noble at the table rose her voice.

“Your majesty, what made you ally yourself with Tobio?” Lady Ise’s calm tone didn’t speak of displeasure at the situation, more curiosity.

Tooru relaxed a little. “I wanted to do things right by those who were slain by our soldiers.” He spoke quietly but with authority in his tone. “They were misled by a traitor of the house, just like I have been. I saw it fit to promise to stand by Tobio, the one I called friend when we were kids, in whatever battle we both face now.”

Lady Ise nodded. “You choose to stand by your friend both as a man and as a king.” She summarised.

“The moment I turn on my friends, is the moment I don’t deserve to tell men to go to war.” Tooru whispered. “I left him alone once before to face the atrocities that rained down on him. I was not about to leave him again.”

He abruptly stood up, meeting the gaze of each noble sat around the table in turn. “We’ve been blind to the bigger picture here.” He began pacing around the table. “The Blue Serpents are more than a rogue bandit clan, they’re a threat to the entire realm, to both our kingdoms. We don’t know everything yet, but I know enough to be sure that without House Kageyama’s cooperation,” he paused under his House’s banner, the red phoenix stood proudly against the white and blue stripes “we’re all in danger.”

“But sire—” Lady Suzuki interrupted, only to be silenced by a glare from Tooru.

“The Brotherhood will be sent. End of discussion.” He stated. “We need to focus our manpower on fortifying the kingdom’s defences. The border with House Kageyama needs to be redrawn to how it was before, I need to allocate resources to the settlements that reported in whilst I was away. And you all need to see that your military numbers meet demands.” He sighed. “I don’t want to force men into the role of soldiers, see how many you can get to sign up voluntarily.”

“What incentives should we offer?” Lord Honjou asked. “Right now it’s the standard; payment to families in case of death.”

Tooru mulled it over for a moment. “Double the payment.”

Eyes widened but no-one objected. Notes were taken as Tooru ordered the soldiers already enlisted to step up their training and be stationed further north towards the border. Iwaizumi watched the council be dismissed, the four nobles didn’t hang around. Tooru sighed heavily, casting his gaze to the banner once more.

“Lady Suzuki seems adamant that the Brotherhood shouldn’t be involved.” Iwaizumi remarked, pacing over slowly.

“She’s hyper-vigilant about our military being glorified. She doesn’t want an outside party taking credit for something her men could do for me.”

“Meanwhile Lady Ise seems to understand the more emotional side of things.”

“Indeed. Her calm nature is the only thing keeping me sane sometimes during these meetings.”

Iwaizumi smiled. “Shall I send the serving girls to run a hot bath?”

“Gods yes,” Tooru rubbed the back of his neck “and afterwards I want the best stew that the cook can come up with.”

“Of course.”

“And after that,” Tooru reached out and took Iwaizumi’s hands “you can join me in my chambers, _alone_.”

Iwaizumi let the coy smile play on his lips. “Of course, Tooru.”

He watched as Iwaizumi strode out of the room, already hearing his raised voice calling commands to various people as the doors closed behind him. Tooru let out another sigh, the quest for answers was only just beginning it seemed, there was so much to do and precious little time to do it in. He felt alone in this fight, like he had inherited this kingdom on the verge of falling too early.

His mind went to his mother and his sister. Connected by blood, but both so far away. He swallowed, gathering himself before striding out of the room. He walked to the mage’s quarters, Shirabu glanced up within seconds of him entering.

“Your majesty.” He nodded. “Something—”

“Show me the last journal entry my father made.” He cut in, waiting for the leather bound journal to be offered to him. He flipped through to the final words his father wrote.

_‘My son. My time has come. I pray to the gods that you find this one day. I cannot tell you exactly what has happened, my mind feels like it’s splitting as I write this. The truth and the lies he had fed me blurring into one being._

_Know that none of this is your fault. You could not have stopped this even if you knew._

_All I ask, not as your king but as your father, is that you be wary of who you trust. Do not trust blindly my son. Our kingdom rests on your shoulders, and if you fall, she will fall too._

_Know that I am with you, that from the ashes of my departure you will rise. Burn brightly my son, and usher in peace to our people.’_

He swallowed. He could feel the tears welling up, the tightness in his chest and the lump in his throat. He clutched the journal to his chest, ignoring Shirabu’s concerned gaze for the moment.

“Why did this happen Kenjirou?”

Shirabu shrugged. “I don’t know sire.” He sighed. “But what’s done is done, we can’t change the past.”

He reread the last line again, mumbling the words aloud. Peace wouldn’t be easily achieved if the events predicted came to pass. But he must rise to the challenge, he had sworn to protect his kingdom and do right by his people. He had promised to help Tobio and he wasn’t going to break that promise if he could help it.

 

* * *

 

 

In the days that followed Tooru’s departure, the Brotherhood were efficient in their individual tasks. The food stores were fully stocked with fresh meat hunted from the forests around Tobu Misaki-Mura. Repairs were being made to the first few buildings in the city, the rookery was being restocked with young ravens and crows and the first few scouting trips had occurred to spread the word that House Kageyama was back in control of the Eastern Throne. The first few families had returned, mainly out of curiosity, and were greeted with Yamaguchi’s warm smile.

Daichi and Kuroo had given Tobio a detailed guide on how to start leading the kingdom, including ideas on how to make it prosper quickly before the cold season hit and sealed them off from the wider world. Bokuto had taken charge of dusting off the armoury with Kiyoko’s help so all the weapons and armour were of usable nature. The melted bars in the dungeon were replaced, not that Tobio was looking to need it in a hurry, and the entire castle had been given a rigorous clean.

Safe to say, by the time it came for them to leave, Hokubujōsai was starting to feel like a second home. But as Daichi had promised, now the king was more sure of himself and better equipped with the knowledge they had bestowed upon him, the Brotherhood was preparing to head back to their humble dwellings.

“You know you can always send a crow.” Daichi told him as he shook Tobio’s hand.

“Of course, and you know you’re always welcome here.” He nodded, glancing around the group, his gaze meeting Hinata’s and holding it for a few moments. “All of you.”

“We’ll be sure to visit.” Tanaka remarked. “Maybe once you’ve stopped freezing your butts off.”

The comment got a laugh from everyone, but as the sun was rising higher in the sky, daylight was limited so they had to leave. As they started down the path away from the castle, Hinata glanced back at the fortress they had been living in for the past few weeks. He felt a heaviness in his chest he couldn’t explain, he waved to Tobio and Yamaguchi before jogging to catch up with the others.

The long road home greeted them like an old friend. Once they were out of the mountain pass, they could turn their minds to the chores waiting for them at home; cleaning out the food stores of mouldy food, refreshing the wood stocks for the fire, answering any and all crows that were hopping around impatiently. As they walked, they passed several groups of travellers heading towards the city, it brought smiles to their faces as they noted some of them were carrying older banners of House Kageyama.

“So for a guild of criminals,” Kuroo remarked “we did something good for once.”

“It’s almost blasphemy.” Yaku added, getting a chuckle.

“I mean,” Suga shrugged “it’s a nice change?”

“Ten gold pieces says we go back to robbing and murdering people within two days of returning.” Kunimi called from further back in the procession.

From the grey sky above them, the first few flecks of snow began to fall. The cold season was upon them, even as they travelled west the cold snap would follow, albeit they wouldn’t get snowed in quite as much as Tobio. Compared to their journey east, the journey home was much more relaxed, the nights spent under the starry skies allowed them to reflect on all that had happened. Crossing the border back into House Oikawa’s land, they picked up the pace a little, eager to get home before any snow storms hit.

“Should we swing by Tanishiti?” Yaku asked Daichi as the city became visible on the horizon.

Daichi shook his head. “It’s best we just head home,” he smiled “as much as a warm tavern would be nice, I’d prefer to sleep in my own bed.”

The familiar sights of the rolling hills south of the city gave them comfort. Though the green was dulled in the cold weather and snow had already settled on some of the trees. They were all tired as the sun began to set, the harsh wind chilling them to the bone. Daichi was set on making it home that night to avoid having to camp again. By the light of several torches, flames fighting the wind, they made it back to the lake and in turn, their home.

“Set up a fire as soon as you get in,” Daichi told Hinata “take whatever wood there is by the fire and use your magic if you have to. We need to get warm.”

Hinata nodded, smiling at such an important task being given to him alone. Kindaichi was quick to give out orders on how to put the horses away, fetching the blankets to drape over them as all the trip’s supplies were unloaded with speed. The door to the guild was unlocked, the dark, cold tunnels awaited. Hinata made a beeline for the common quarters, hauling a few large logs into the fireplace and engulfing them in flames.

For a while there was organised chaos as things were unpacked, the fire hissed and crackled the entire time. As the outstanding chores were squared away, there was a slow trickle of guild members settling in front of the fire. A keg of ale was poured out between them as Suga and Kuroo put the finishing touches to a stew and began dishing it out.

With a bowl of stew and a tankard of ale each, the Brotherhood could let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Well,” Bokuto broke the comfortable silence “that was an adventure.”

He was met with hums of amusement and a few raised eyebrows to see where this tangent was going.

“I mean, what started out as a simple ‘lets go and get Kunimi pardoned oh and also find out what the Serpents are up to’ turned into ‘well now we gotta mediate talks between two kings, one of whom was assumed dead’.” He set his bowl down on the floor for Lev to lick the remains from and leaned forward in his seat. “Like, can we just appreciate how _fucking crazy_ it all was?”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Don’t forget all the magic.”

“Exactly!” Bokuto exclaimed. “All that magic, heck the griffins and freaking—” he gestured to Hinata who had his mouth full of stew “you, you with all your visions and conjuring that dragon in the circle. That was insane!”

Hinata swallowed. “I…guess?”

“You guess?” Bokuto shook his head. “Do you even know why you got all those visions?”

Kenma and Nishinoya exchanged a glance before the former spoke up. “We have a theory.”

All eyes were on them as Kenma nodded to Akaashi. The empath mage sighed heavily, setting aside his tankard and empty bowl and rubbed his forehead.

“So, Hinata asked one of the griffins why he got visions.” He explained. “And to cut a long story short, she showed him some sort of premonition. Said premonition could be interpreted as…” he trailed off trying to word his thoughts as the vision flashed in his memory, a certain other memory was trying to surface at the same time making him wince. “Basically we think Hinata’s an aura mage.”

The surprise was clear on everyone’s faces as the words sunk in. Hinata wasn’t sure how he was going to answer any questions asked of him.

Kiyoko was the first to speak.

“You think he’s an aura mage.” She repeated, glancing at the three mages before settling her gaze on Hinata. “What do you think?”

“I uh…” he swallowed. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know.” She repeated back to him. “Or is it more of a case that, you don’t want to be one.”

“Why wouldn’t he want to be one?” Bokuto asked.

Kiyoko held his gaze. “Think about the last time any of us ran into one, what the result was.” She spoke firmly but with the same softness as before. “Shoyo, are you scared that you’ll turn out like him?”

Hinata nodded slowly. “I don’t want to hurt anyone…I just want to be me.”

She smiled. “Then you’re already better than him.”

“Besides,” Kenma spoke up “I already told you that you don’t have to learn all of the elements. You can just stick to the three you have.”

Akaashi hummed, shaking his head. “But you know as well as him, Kenma,” he murmured “the griffin has implied that Hinata learning the other elements is necessary for future events.”

“What…future events.” Daichi dared to ask.

“Oh, the war with the northern territories.” Akaashi stated nonchalantly. “It’s almost inevitable at this stage.”

Daichi let out a loud heavy sigh. “Okay, let’s leave all that talk until the morning yeah? There’s a lot to unpack, too much to think about now.”

Suga nodded in agreement. “I think, all of us need to get a good night’s rest. No more talk of the future, just rest.”

It was almost an unofficial order from Suga, one that no-one was in a hurry to disobey. Once everyone had eaten their fill of stew and drank all the ale they could without vomiting, they began to retire to their beds. Sleep was easy for some of them to find within moments of crashing into their beds, some remained awake appreciating the more familiar surroundings and comforts. Hinata let out a content sigh as he settled in amongst the blankets in the library with Kenma and Lev. Kenma was already half-asleep as a brazier provided a little extra warmth within the cosy corner, but was still willing to listen to Hinata’s murmurings.

“Do you really think I can master more elements?”

Kenma shifted, rolling over to face Hinata as he pulled his blanket tighter around him. “Yeah, you’ll have to focus though.”

“I can focus.”

“And I’ll need books to teach you with.”

“I’m sure we can find some?”

Kenma hummed. “I’ll tell Moniwa, he might have some people he can ask…”

There was a pause, Hinata felt Kenma’s head bump against his as sleep set in quickly. Despite feeling tired himself, Hinata couldn’t sleep as easily. Lev’s tail twitched as he rolled over, his purring loud in the otherwise quiet room.

Now that they were home, they could focus on themselves again. There wasn’t the pressure of being in the presence of two kings, or having to mediate debates. They could almost go back to their regular lives, if it wasn’t the for impending battles ahead. Hinata felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, not necessarily a call to solve the guild’s problems, but a call to action. He may have considered himself a simple fire mage, but it was obvious now that a bigger destiny awaited him.

The only question was, what did it have in store for him?

 

 


	51. Bokuto's Handiwork

**L**

**Bokuto's Handiwork**

“Pull the arrow back, slowly, and when you’re ready, release it.”

Kiyoko nodded, holding the bow steady nocking the arrow and slowly pulled it back. Her eyes skimmed the smooth wood and focused on the target dummy. As her arm strained under the new weight, she let the arrow go. The twang of the bowstring signalled the arrow leaving, it sailed through the air but fell short of the target.

“Dammnit.” She sighed, rotating her wrist as she lowered the bow.

Suga shrugged. “You’re closer than you were before.”

“I just feel like I’m back to my first day wielding a sword.” She examined the bow with narrowed eyes.

“Well, it took me most of my childhood to learn.” Suga smiled as he offered another arrow to her. “And your body was trained for a sword fight, not archery. It’s natural for you to struggle a little.”

Kiyoko accepted the arrow, squaring her stance before readying it. She inhaled as she drew it back, holding her breath for a few seconds until exhaling as she released. This time the arrow hit the bottom of the target, the chains rattling as it swung back and forth.

“Nice shot!” Bokuto called from the other side of the armoury, glancing up from his current project at the swinging target.

Kiyoko smiled and nodded in thanks. As the cold season had taken hold, the snow had begun falling making it unpleasant to be outside. It wasn’t the first winter the guild had experienced, but the tunnels did feel a little more crowded that year. Kiyoko had felt restless given the lack of contracts available, the few that had come in called for slightly different skills to hers, mostly Yaku and Kuroo’s. When she had confided in Suga and Bokuto about her bored state, they suggested she took up training in a new weapon and so for the past few days Suga had been teaching her the basics of archery.

“When the snow has melted and it’s a bit warmer outside,” Suga readied his own bow and let loose an arrow with little visible effort. The arrowhead sunk into the swinging target. Kiyoko rolled her eyes as she got the sense he was showing off. “I’ll take you to the forest and you can practice in a more cluttered environment.”

She laughed. “Bokuto’s lack of organisation in this room isn’t cluttered enough?”

“Hey!” A protest came from the other side of the room. “I heard that!”

Suga shook his head. “True, but learning how to skim your arrow off one tree in order to hit another is a useful skill.” He smiled. “I’ve killed a few bandits with it.”

“And people think Yaku is the most lethal in this guild.” Kiyoko hummed, turning the bow over in her hands.

“I think we’re all as lethal as each other.” Bokuto remarked, pausing in working on the tangle of chainmail and metal plating he had been hammering. “It’s just a question of who gets to you first and how much they hate you.”

“I pity those who’ve been killed by Kenma’s hand.” Suga sighed. “It’s quite horrific to watch.”

Kiyoko didn’t really want to know how the alchemist killed people, the strange smells that some of the potions emanated was enough to turn her stomach. She paced over to Bokuto’s workbench to find out what he had been doing all afternoon. It was obvious he was working on some armour of sorts but it seemed far too small for anyone in the guild. It also seemed to have a peculiar shape to it.

“What’s all this?” She asked, gesturing to the tiny helmet that had two holes in the top.

Bokuto grinned as Suga also came to find out what exactly had been occurring on the workbench. “This,” he held up the armour, four chainmail sleeves hung down from the large metal plate that seemed to hold it all together “is Lev’s armour.”

Suga gave Bokuto a puzzled look as Kiyoko laughed somewhat nervously. “You…made armour for a cat?” He asked.

“Well yeah.” Bokuto pouted. “He’s an important part of our family now so I gotta make sure he’s protected.”

“Protected.” Kiyoko repeated. “From what? Yaku kicking him?”

Bokuto snorted. “No, if we have to defend the guild, I can put this on him and Lev will be as protected as the rest of us. I dunno if he’s the kinda cat to launch himself at enemies or the type to hide under a table.”

“You’re assuming Lev will let you put it on him.” Suga remarked with a smile. “That’s gotta be something I wanna see; you persuading him to put it on whilst chaos rains down around you.”

Bokuto puffed his chest out as he stepped back and called for Lev. The cat took a few moments but he soon trotted into the armoury, tail high in the air and eyes curious at what Bokuto wanted. After picking Lev up and setting him on the workbench, Bokuto held up the armour for him to sniff. Green eyes blinked slowly as his tailed swished. Bokuto gently coaxed him into the chainmail, making sure his fur wasn’t caught in any of the fastenings. As the long fluffy tail swished, the base covered in a thin layer of chainmail, Bokuto grinned.

“You were saying?” He gestured to Lev who was stood on the workbench, his paws were still exposed but his back and sides were protected by a combination of chainmail and thin metal plating. He was also sporting his tiny helmet that was designed with the intention of deflecting arrows from his skull.

Suga and Kiyoko exchanged a glance before nodding in approval.

“I…stand corrected.” Suga even went as far as to applaud the creation. “That looks genuinely good.”

Bokuto’s grin became more smug as Kiyoko nodded in agreement. “Great! Well hopefully we won’t need it for a while, I need to test the durability of the metal.”

Lev meowed, attracting Bokuto’s attention before proceeding to jump off the workbench and start trotting away, the metal rattling all the while.

“Hey, come back here, I need to get that off you!” Bokuto squawked before giving chase. Suga and Kiyoko merely watched as Bokuto chased Lev into the kitchen.

“Never a dull moment.” Kiyoko sighed.

“Nope, and that’s what makes it fun.” Suga replied, moving to set his bow on its rack. “I’m going to go and sit by the fire for a little bit before we have to sort out supper. You coming with?”

Kiyoko considered it but shook her head. “Nah, I told Moniwa I was going to help him reorganise some of the shelves in the library.” She gave her bow to Suga to put away. “You know how reluctant Kenma is to do cleaning.”

Suga chuckled. “Yeah, there’s a reason no-one goes near his alchemy set up.”

She waved as she moved to follow the chaos that was Bokuto chasing Lev. From the sounds of slight distress and confusion, she figured the cat had bolted into the library and there was now a standoff occurring. As she slipped through the ajar door, she saw Lev had climbed to the top shelf of one of the bookcases and Bokuto was waving his arms around trying to reach him. Hinata was jumping, trying to be of some assistance but ultimately causing more headaches as Moniwa tried to reign in the unruly members of the guild.

Kenma was watching the entire scene unfold with a carefully measured indifference and disdain for the eruption of noise in his sanctuary of peace.

“Bokuto, maybe if you stop squawking at him, Lev will come down.” Moniwa pleaded.

“No, he needs to learn to obey his orders.” Bokuto shook his fist at the feline who was peering down at him.

“Now you sound like Yaku.”

“Well _maybe_ Yaku has a point!”

Kiyoko sighed, shaking her head at the situation. Lev showed no interest in obeying the orders being shouted at him as Bokuto started demanding the ladder be brought over. She stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Allow me.” She told him, quietening the group as she glanced up at the cat. “Hey Lev, Suga will give you the scraps from tonight’s roast if you come down and let Bokuto take the armour off you.”

Lev’s ears twitched but he didn’t move. With a heavy sigh, Kenma decided to intervene, if it meant getting the noisy buffoon that was Bokuto out of his room, he was willing to reveal his secret training.

“Oi Lev,” he called from the table. “Heel.”

With a chirp, Lev rose to his feet and jumped down, landing with a clatter before trotting over and jumping on to the table. He meowed as Kenma nodded and tickled his chin. Bokuto’s eyes were wide with disbelief as Kenma smiled.

“Since when did you train him to heel?”

“Since I had time to kill in Hokubujōsai.” Kenma shrugged. “Now get this armour off him and go back to your armoury.”

Bokuto didn’t pay any mind to the slightly abrasive attitude. He picked Lev up and took him back towards the armoury, leaving the dust to settle behind him. Kiyoko closed the door once he was gone, turning her attention back to the others. Kenma had already gone back to his current alchemy experiment, Hinata peering over his shoulder the entire time.

“You wanted help organising the books?” She asked Moniwa.

He smiled. “Ah yes, if it’s not too much trouble.” He gestured to the array of tomes and ledgers that were stuffed into the bookcases. “Kenma’s had this habit of just shoving books in where there’s space, not necessarily organising them.”

“I see.” Kiyoko felt a little daunted at the task but was eager to get stuck in. “Where do we start?”

 

* * *

 

 

Quiet was hard to obtain in the tunnels of the guild, between the everyday chores that always seemed to produce chaos and the fact that it was snowing outside, finding a moment of peace was nigh impossible. Which is why when such moments were found, they felt that much more special.

Akaashi let out a content sigh as he rested his head on Kuroo’s chest. They were in Daichi’s quarters, the guild leader himself sat at the table penning letters to be sent before the strong winds made it impossible for the crows to fly. They could faintly hear some loud conversations in the common quarters but felt no desire to join. Kuroo’s soft hums in thought were relaxing to listen to, his fingers gently running through Akaashi’s hair as Daichi’s quill scratched against parchment.

“So that’s the letter to Misaki done.” Daichi murmured to no-one but he got a hum in response from Kuroo anyway. “Tobio’s should’ve gone already but I’ll have to ask Kenma.”

“Did you ever reply to Iwaizumi’s letter?” Kuroo asked.

“The one asking if we wanted to stay in the palace the next time we visit? No not yet, why?”

Kuroo shrugged. “No reason, it was just an odd one.”

Daichi leaned back in his chair, he rubbed the small amount of stubble he had allowed to grow on his chin. “I was gonna send him one saying we’re not sure when we’d be by next.” He glanced over at the duo on his bed. “It’s the cold season now, I can’t imagine any of us wanting or needing to venture that far out.”

Kuroo nodded, content to go back to sitting in silence. Daichi busied himself with updating his ledger, considering the few tips he had received from Misaki’s latest report and the likelihood of any more contracts appearing.

Akaashi shifted his position, prompting Kuroo to press a kiss to his forehead. Since being home he had felt a little more at ease. The memories that he had taken from Tobio still rose occasionally, the scar on his hand had faded but could be felt still. He had eventually told Kuroo the full details of it, he had been slightly chastised for being reckless but there was a sense that what was done was done so all they could do was deal with it. A combination of rest and herbal remedies had lessened the effect of them on him so he was almost completely back to normal.

A knock at the door broke the comfortable silence.

“Enter.” Daichi called, turning in his seat to see who it was. Yaku entered, parchment in hand bearing the orange seal that House Kageyama had adopted.

“The raven that was carrying this nearly bit my finger off.” He grumbled, handing the letter to Daichi. As the guild leader read the letter, Yaku exchanged some light chitchat with Kuroo about the cold weather and how Kindaichi must be some kind of mage to be able to go out and stay out for such long periods of time looking after the horses.

Daichi rose from his seat, ceasing conversation. “So we’ve been summoned by Tobio.”

“Oh gods, what now?” Kuroo groaned.

“Oh it’s a good summons.” Daichi laughed, Kuroo sighed as Yaku snorted.

“Good how?” Yaku asked.

Daichi offered the letter to the other. “Well, when I say ‘we’, I mean Hinata and me specifically.”

Akaashi stirred, meeting Daichi’s gaze. “Why?”

“Tobio’s having a winter feast and he wants at least me and Hinata there. Though he said we can bring as many members as we wish. He also said he’s invited Tooru.”

Kuroo tried to stifle the yawn that was threatening to escape. “That winter feast, the one you told us that the guard mentioned?” He raised an eyebrow. “The one that is about being thankful but also looking ahead to the future?”

Daichi nodded. “It’s obviously a trek and a half so I don’t expect the guild to want to go, but I’m prepared to take everyone who wants to go.”

“With all due respect to his majesty,” Akaashi murmured “I’d prefer to stay here.”

“Same.” Kuroo added, not bothering to stifle his yawn this time.

Daichi understood, it was a long journey to make in such cold conditions. He decided he’d bring it up at supper and see what everyone else thought. He wouldn’t be surprised if no-one wanted to go, but likewise he wouldn’t be surprised if half of them did. It somewhat amused him that Hinata had been summoned by name, clearly the mage had left a significant impression on the king. He dismissed Yaku and turned his attention to penning another letter, this one to a much more personal recipient.

The peaceful silence returned to the room, when Daichi glanced up from his parchment, he chuckled at the sight of both Kuroo and Akaashi fast asleep. Whilst it had been a few weeks since they returned, the exhaustion that had clung to each member of the guild had taken time to fade. It had weighed heavily on the duo, Daichi wasn’t at all surprised that neither of them had really left the guild since returning.

He quietly rose from his seat, plucking the summons from Tobio from the pile and leaving them to rest. He made his way to the library to find Hinata. He was met with the floor covered in piles of books and rolls of parchment, the bookshelves half empty as Moniwa and Kiyoko were mid cleaning. As he closed the door behind him, Kenma and Hinata glanced up from the potion they had been watching come to a boil.

“Ah, Hinata.” Daichi nodded in greeting as he picked his way around the piles of books. “I have a letter for you.”

Hinata took it with curiosity in his eyes. He scanned the text, brow furrowing as he took in the summons to the court of the king.

“Is it just us going?” He asked.

Daichi shrugged. “I’m going to mention it to the others, but don’t be surprised if it is just us.”

Kenma seemed indifferent to the idea when Hinata looked to him for a reaction. “It’s cold Shoyo. I don’t want to freeze on horseback for a week.”

Hinata pouted slightly but nodded. “I guess? What does Tobio want me there for anyway? This sounds like a guild leadery thing.” He handed the note back to Daichi who laughed.

“Like it or not Hinata, Tobio took a shine to you.” He smiled warmly. “If it wasn’t so explicitly stated that you need to attend, I’d tell you it’s your choice, but as Tobio has directly summoned both of us by name, we don’t have much say.”

Hinata nodded again, he could understand the politics a little. He wondered if there was something else required of him in the kingdom that spurred his summoning. Given how much the mountain spirit was _adamant_  about him being important to Tobio, he half expected there to be some kind of secret mission waiting for him.

“I’ll see you both at supper.” Daichi told them both, carefully stepping around the books once more as he left. Kenma raised an eyebrow as Hinata remained quiet, gently nudging him.

“It’s probably nothing major.” Kenma murmured. “But Daichi’s right, he did take a shine to you.”

There was a small smile from Hinata, a brightness in his eyes dispelled any fear Kenma had that he wasn’t handling it well.

“Yeah. I guess being friends with a king isn’t so bad.” He remarked, casting his gaze around the room and meeting Kiyoko’s. “Who knows, I might get made a knight.”

Kiyoko had overheard the conversation and didn’t want to necessarily point out that Hinata couldn’t be a knight if he wasn’t a soldier, but she gave him a supportive smile as she handed Moniwa more books to put back on the shelves.

When the call for supper did go out, most of the library had been put back to where it belonged. As the guild assembled around the fire and was served the roast deer that Suga had been minding for most of the afternoon, Daichi brought up the letter from Tobio. He explained that he didn’t expect everyone to go, that only him and Hinata were technically required. Most of the Brotherhood was reluctant to leave the warmth and safety of the guild, the idea of travelling on horseback through the cold winds and snowfall wasn’t exactly alive with excitement. That being said, two of them were more on board than the rest.

“We’ll accompany you.” Kiyoko stated, glancing at Suga who nodded. “It’s far too dangerous out there for only two of you to go.”

Daichi smiled. “We could manage I think.”

Suga shook his head. “Nah, not happening.” He raised an eyebrow. “This isn’t for some solo job Dai, this is you and Hinata travelling to Hokubujōsai in the middle of the cold season. There’ll be bears, wolves, bandits and all sorts of desperate creatures out there.”

“At least with us there, you’ll have two extra swords.” Kiyoko added.

Hinata was more than happy to have Suga and Kiyoko along with them, he still felt a little intimidated by Daichi seeing as he was the guild leader. Having two other people to talk to certainly wouldn’t go unwanted.

Daichi let out a heavy exhale. “Okay then, but we’re only taking two horses.” He met Kuroo’s gaze. “And this puts you in charge whilst we’re gone, you gonna be okay?”

Kuroo snorted before letting out a laugh. “Daichi, it’s the middle of the cold season, I’m pretty sure nothing crazy is gonna happen. No-one wants to cause trouble when there’s a blizzard at your front door.”

“If you say so.” Daichi shrugged. “Alright then, we’ll be leaving tomorrow sometime then. If anyone has any questions, direct them to your illustrious leader Kuroo.”

There were several chuckles as Kuroo’s expense, but the happy quiet returned to them soon enough.


	52. "Darn these responsibilities!"

**LI**

**“Darn these responsibilities!”**

 

The chill in the wind was hard to shake, it was made to feel colder by the fact they were riding as fast as they could in the snow. Both Yuki and Raimei were more used to charging through the snow, but it still slowed them. Hinata was somewhat thankful for the fur pelt Kenma had given him to wear, he was also thankful for basically needing to hug Daichi into order to stay on the horse. His runestones bumped against his chest, he was tempted to warm his hand with fire but had already been warned not to spook either Daichi or Raimei by summoning magic unexpectedly.

Their one blessing on this trip was that due to House Kageyama reclaiming their former lands, several new settlements had sprung up on the flat grasslands of the east. With these settlements came taverns and inns where they could rest the night. Gone were the days of camping in the wilderness it seemed, at least for now.

Their first night in the tavern had given Hinata an insight into how close Suga and Daichi were as friends. The lack of the crazier members of the guild meant the two guild leaders were more laid back, willing to play several rounds of cards and bet drinks against each other. Kiyoko and Hinata merely watched at first, not quite wanting to get involved.

“Did you teach Kuroo how to cheat?” Daichi asked, a coy smile slowly creeping onto his face behind his cards. Suga’s eyes widened at the accusation.

“Me? Teach Kuroo how to cheat?” He scoffed. “Puh-lease, he’s enough of a scheming asshole to know how to cheat before I even deal a hand.”

Daichi didn’t reply at first, merely adding a few more bottle tops to the pile. Suga’s poker face was good, but he was better. Hinata couldn’t work out who was bluffing, Kiyoko had tried to explain the merits of lying to your friends in a game like this but the younger male simply didn’t get it.

“I raise you.” Suga broke the silence as Daichi didn’t seem to yield. The clinking of more bottle tops rang out. The tow of them stared at one another for a few moments before Daichi’s smile grew.

“You’re bluffing.”

Suga returned the smile, fluttering his eyes. “Am I?”

Kiyoko laughed as Daichi seemed unsure of himself. “Prove it.”

Suga laid his cards on the table, he had one of the best hands one could get. Daichi almost couldn’t believe it. He sighed as he set his own cards down and Suga laughed.

“Another ale, I assume?” Daichi remarked.

Suga nodded. “Of course.”

As the guild leader rose from his seat to amble over to the barkeep for another round, Kiyoko collected the cards together to shuffle them. Hinata’s gaze was on Suga, the relaxed smile and slightly rosy complexion that came with it. He was trying to work out how Suga had known he had won without even seeing Daichi’s cards.

“You know, you can’t keep using the same strategy.” Kiyoko remarked with a more coy smile as she set the deck of cards down. “He’ll realise eventually.”

Suga shrugged. “He accused me of teaching Kuroo how to cheat.” He returned the smile. “Why don’t you play next? It’s always more fun with more people.”

Kiyoko seemed to consider it, glancing at Hinata. “What do you think, should I show these two know-it-alls how it’s done?”

Hinata couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “You reckon you could beat them?”

“Oh yeah, I know Koushi’s strategy and I’ve almost figured out Daichi’s.”

Suga raised an eyebrow at the confident attitude. “You’re on then.”

Once Daichi returned and was told of the new development, the cards were dealt between the three of them. Hinata watched Kiyoko’s thoughtful expression before a more calm aura seemed to fall over her. Between the three of them, the pile of bottle tops on the table began to steadily grow. There was a more competitive feeling in the air, Hinata didn’t want to imagine how it would’ve played out if Kuroo and Bokuto had been present.

As the last of the bottle tops were added to the pile, a stalemate broke out. None of them wanted to come out and say they thought they had won.

Kiyoko met Daichi’s gaze. “You’ve been quiet this game, no more accusations to throw around?”

“Not presently.” He replied, glancing at Suga. “You’ve not said anything sassy in a while.”

“I pick the time carefully.” Suga shrugged.

Hinata looked between them all, he had been trying to work out who was bluffing and who wasn’t but it was hard. Kiyoko raised an eyebrow, clearing her throat.

“Alright. I think I’ve won.” She declared.

Daichi and Suga shared an amused glance before the guild leader smiled. “Prove it.”

She laid her cards on the table, it wasn’t the best hand but it was good. Daichi followed suit, revealing his rather mediocre hand. As they all looked to Suga, Hinata expected him to reveal another winning hand. However, when he set his cards down there was a split second before Kiyoko let out a victory cheer.

“How?” Hinata asked, looking at the poor selection of cards. “But Suga, you’re really good at this game!”

Daichi chuckled as Kiyoko playfully punched Suga’s shoulder. He leaned down slightly to whisper in reply to Hinata. “I think he let her win.”

“No, he wouldn’t do that.” Hinata hissed back.

Daichi merely raised an eyebrow. “If you say so.”

“Alright!” Suga batted Kiyoko’s punches away. “What do you want milady?”

She smiled. “The finest wine the barkeep has.”

Suga snorted. “As you demand.”

Daichi kept any comments to himself until Suga was out of earshot. “You know he—”

“Let me win.” Kiyoko finished. “I’m aware. I’ll make him pay for it later.” She shrugged. “Right now I’ll just revel in my success, whether I earned it or whether it was handed to me. It was still a victory.”

Daichi and Hinata couldn’t fault her for that logic. When Suga returned with three tankards of ale and a large cup of what Hinata could only describe as a blood-like liquid, the card game was abandoned in favour of more relaxed talking. Considering all that had happened in recent weeks it was nice to be in a tavern without the pressure of impending doom bearing down on them.

“Say,” Suga mused, running his fingertip around the rim of his tankard “Dai, have you thought about visiting your father?”

Daichi shook his head. “Nah, he’d just turn around and ask what the hell I was doing in our backwater town and not exploring the world.” He chuckled.

Hinata eyed the small tankard of ale in front of him, he didn’t drink much and certainly not since his powers had become much more unpredictable. He cautiously took a sip of the relatively sweet drink before wading into the conversation.

“Why would your father be upset at seeing you?” He asked Daichi.

There was a hearty laugh from the other. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. My father was the kinda guy to tell me that I shouldn’t let myself be tied to our town, he taught me that this world was bigger than the house I was born in.” Daichi glanced down at his drink with a slightly distant look in his eyes. “He wanted me to see the kingdom at least, to see beyond the walls protecting us.”

“A nice sentiment.” Kiyoko smiled, taking a sip of her own drink. “He taught you to read and write I take it?”

“Yeah, he was a bookkeeper by trade, not that much unlike Moniwa. So he’d get adventurers passing through and offer to record their stories both for his own collection and a keepsake for them.”

Hinata’s eyes were wide in awe. “Gwah! So cool! Did you ever meet them?”

“Occasionally,” Daichi hummed “most of the time I was too busy reading whatever historical texts I could find.”

“Ah, so that’s why you’re so well equipped to be our leader.” Kiyoko remarked.

Suga snorted into his drink. “I think it’s more of a case that Daichi’s the one to first rein Kuroo in and that basically gave him the role.”

Daichi laughed, shaking his head. “Part of it was that.” He met Suga’s gaze. “The rest of it was me wanting to do something good in the world.”

Hinata tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

There was a pause as Daichi took a long sip and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Well, you meet adventurers like Tanaka and Nishinoya every day on the road who have crazy stories of daring escapes from bears and the like. You meet kings and knights, nobles and peasants…all walks of life. You go on these crazy journeys, you see the wonders that nature can provide…” He trailed off, the distant look in his eyes returning for a fleeting moment. “At the end of the day, I guess there was this hunger to want to be more than the bookkeeper’s son.” He smiled. “I want to leave behind something good, something more tangible than stories on a page that will fade with the ink.”

Hinata nodded slowly, Suga’s expression told him that this had been the first time Daichi had spoken so deeply about why he left home. Kiyoko gave her usual reassuring smile as Daichi drained his tankard.

“So,” Hinata murmured “you want the guild to be your legacy?”

“I wouldn’t say it like that.” Daichi shrugged. “It’s more…I saw an opportunity to do some good, to leave something positive in the world. Helping Kuroo face his past, giving Akaashi a home, enabling each individual of the guild to either escape their past horrors or just simply explore without the burden of trying to find somewhere to rest their head at night. I know it probably won’t last forever, or heck even into our grey years, but at least for now; the Brotherhood is a family and the guild is a home for whoever needs it.”

Suga glanced at Kiyoko before Hinata loudly declared he wanted to hug Daichi. The guild leader snorted but let Hinata cling to him, even wrapping an arm around him in a half hug. The four of them finished their drinks as the barkeep declared it was last call, given how much they had already drunk, it was no surprise when Suga stumbled slightly as he stood up. Kiyoko giggled as he tried to play down how unsteady he was on his feet until he walked into a table and nearly toppled over it.

Daichi took charge and led them toward the inn next door, handing over a bag of gold coins for their rooms. Hinata was almost fearful that he’d be left alone, a strange concept given how often he shared rooms and even beds with the likes of Kenma. His fears were quashed as Daichi told him he’d be sharing a room with Kiyoko, instead Hinata felt slightly nervous now.

“Why can’t we all share one room?” He asked Kiyoko as she shut the door quietly.

“Because this inn only had single and double rooms, and as the point of Koushi and I travelling with you is to offer more protection and ease, having four single rooms didn’t seem to align. Also it’s only for one night.” She began unfastening the belt that held her sword on. “Is there something wrong?”

Hinata shook his head, a little too quickly. “I uh, well usually I sleep with— I mean in the same pile of blankets as Kenma?” He fidgeted with his fingers. “I’m not used to…” he gestured to the single beds.

Kiyoko understood, maybe not fully, but enough to see the potential problem. “Ah,” she rubbed her chin in thought “okay well what about this, we can push the beds together so you don’t feel so alone?”

“You…you wouldn’t find that weird?” Hinata didn’t want to imagine how the likes of Tanaka would react to this idea.

“No, not at all.” She smiled. “Why would I?”

Hinata really didn’t want to come out and say it was because she was a girl, it was more than that but that was what it boiled down to in the end. “Because you’re _you_ , you’re Kiyoko the fierce battle-maiden who doesn’t let anyone push her around, you command respect from everyone even _King Tooru’s knight_. And I’m not worthy of being in your presence let alone kinda-sharing a bed.”

For a moment, Kiyoko wasn’t sure how to respond. She was caught between laughing and just nodding.

“Hinata,” she murmured, sitting on the edge of one of the beds and beckoning him to sit beside her “I’m not some kind of goddess, I’m just a person like you.”

Hinata found that doubtful if any of the premonitions were remotely accurate. “But—”

She shook her head. “Listen, didn’t Daichi just say that the Brotherhood is a family? And within families, sure you have your patriarch or matriarch, but everyone’s treated equally in the end. No-one is ‘more worthy’ than anyone else.”

“I still…you’re just so cool Kiyoko…like I’m not on your level at all.” He pouted. “I just make fire happen and occasionally that’s useful but you’re always advising the others on what to do, you’re deadly with your katana, but you’re also kind and everything a mother is.”

“You ‘just make fire happen’.” She repeated with a coy smile. “I can’t make fire happen.” She nudged him playfully. “To me, you’re this powerful mage who has a lot to learn about himself. You’ve been braver than a lot of warriors I’ve fought with and against. I mean,” she sighed heavily, her smile growing “Hinata, you stood up not just to one, but two kings and told them to effectively ‘quit bickering and work together’.”

They shared a quiet laugh, Hinata let out a small sigh.

“I guess.” He shrugged. “Kenma said something kinda similar, like how I’m powerful and that…”

Kiyoko hummed. “Well if all the signs are true, you are. But I wasn’t talking strictly about your powers. I was talking about your determination to do things right, even if it means standing up to your own friends.”

“The griffins say that I have a pure heart.” He met her gaze, seeking some kind of validation. “Do you think that’s true?”

She didn’t miss a beat as she responded. “The way you reacted to Daichi’s rambling downstairs about wanting to do good in the world is all the proof I need.” She nodded. “Just don’t let anyone take advantage of that pure heart Hinata, stay true to yourself no matter what happens from now on.”

Feeling like the conversation had peaked, Kiyoko stood up and asked if he wanted to push the beds together after all that, he nodded and watched her quietly shift one of the beds closer to the other until their frames were pushed flush against one another. There was still a small gap between the bottom sheets but they would be close enough to sense each other’s presence.

As he lay there, the candle long snuffed out, Hinata tried to put the heavy conversation topic behind him. The wind howled outside, the wooden frame of the roof creaking above them. They’d most likely reach Tobu Misaki-Mura by the late evening tomorrow and he could find out from Tobio why he specifically was summoned.

He was beginning to drift off when Kiyoko’s voice slightly startled him.

“Hinata, about something you said.” She whispered, prompting him to roll over to try and listen clearly.

“Yeah?”

“When you said I was ‘everything a mother is’…did you mean that?”

He swallowed, he thought she hadn’t clocked the remark. “Uhm, yeah…you remind me a lot of my mother sometimes.” He whispered back. “You’re patient but you tell it like it is…like you’d get mad if Nishinoya trekked mud into the guild but you’d appreciate it was because he was trying to catch Lev before he got mud _everywhere_.”

Kiyoko let out a small giggle. “Ah I see.”

“Why?”

There was a slight pause before she hummed in reply. “No reason…no-one’s ever mentioned me and ‘mother’ in the same sentence before so it struck me…that’s all.” She sighed slightly. “Goodnight Shoyo.”

Hinata hummed back. “G’night Kiyoko.”

 

* * *

 

 

If Akaashi was a betting man, he would’ve placed a hefty wager on the more eccentric members causing mayhem within a day of Daichi leaving them under Kuroo’s command. If he had done so, he would’ve lost heavily. The opposite seemed to occur within the guild; the lack of craziness was beginning to arouse suspicion.

Kuroo being the acting guild leader, had taken up residence in the larger quarters, and thus Akaashi joined him. The first few days didn’t seem overly different, Bokuto was still on his campaign to give Lev a full set of armour, Moniwa was in the final stages of reorganising the library and was beginning to pester Kenma into sorting out his vast array of potion ingredients and runestones. Kindaichi was the only soul brave enough to venture outside for long periods of time to tend to the two horses they still had, even the crows seemed reluctant to leave the cages with their messages. Tanaka and Nishinoya had taken it upon themselves to harass Yaku and Kunimi into a joint training routine which consisted of daily target practice with weapons of their choice followed up by sparring until there was a call for food.

All in all, they were coping well without their guild leader. But Akaashi couldn’t help but feel like something was amiss. Maybe it was the sudden feeling of peace, the temporary bliss that came with the silence of winter. Very few contracts would be coming through during these months, bandits would be desperate for any lone adventurer so leaving the guild for simple jobs like petty theft wasn’t worth it. There simply wasn’t any reason to be stressed.

“You know…” Kuroo murmured, reaching up and stroking Akaashi’s cheek. “At some point we’re gonna need to address the fact you’re still having nightmares.”

Akaashi wrinkled his nose, the furs on the bed were soft to the touch, he met Kuroo’s gaze as they lay there in the quiet. “Do we really?”

“Kenma doesn’t want to have to keep making you poultices forever.” Kuroo’s fingertips gently came to hold Akaashi’s chin. “And I don’t want you suffering with them.”

“It’s more complicated—” Akaashi was going to argue but Kuroo gently brought his thumb over Akaashi’s lips, silencing him.

“It’s mage stuff, I get it.” He hummed, pulling his hand away. “But at least talk to Kenma about it, please? One of the court mages might be able to help, you don’t know until you try.”

There was a pause, Akaashi sighed heavily. “…okay, I’ll ask Kenma later. We might be able to get a message to Shirabu.”

Kuroo smiled warmly. “Thank-you Keiji.”

Akaashi returned the smile before sitting up. “It’s getting late, supper needs to be started.”

“I’m sure they can wait like…an hour.” Kuroo complained, pouting as the void beside him on the bed only seemed to get bigger as Akaashi shook his head.

“You say that,” he raised an eyebrow “I don’t wish to fall asleep only to be woken up by the tribal chants for food from Nishinoya.”

Kuroo rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. “Darn these responsibilities!”

Akaashi chuckled. “You don’t have to do anything, heck Suga is the one usually cooking. Daichi doesn’t do anything beyond peeling potatoes.”

“But you’re taking over from Suga, which means I don’t get to laze about here cuddling you.” Kuroo rolled onto his back to watch Akaashi pulling on an extra jacket. “Speaking of which—”

“Here we go.” Akaashi breathed. “What?”

Kuroo sat up, leaning his elbows on his knees as he met Akaashi’s gaze with a smirk. “Have you noticed how Suga and Daichi aren’t spending as much time alone together?”

“Why does it matter?” Akaashi replied, not really wanting to speculate anything to do with inter-guild relations.

Kuroo’s eyes brows rose. “Well, I noticed that between all this chaos and travelling, Suga’s been spending more time with Kiyoko.”

Akaashi felt a strong urge to roll his eyes. “And?”

Kuroo threw his arms up in the air. “What if there’s something going on?”

“You’re being a little ridiculous.”

“But what if—”

Akaashi stepped forward and placed his fingertip against Kuroo’s forehead, he waited a moment before gently pushing him so he fell back on the bed.

“Stop over-thinking, dumbass.” He remarked as Kuroo looked up at him with a dumbfounded expression. “If there is anything going on, I’m sure it’s nothing bad.” He turned and walked towards the door, pausing to glance back. “And you’d also be the last person able to call them out on it, just remember how long it took you to confess to me.”

He opened the door and slipped out as Kuroo let out an objection in form of a harsh squawk. Akaashi shook his head again as he made his way to the kitchen. They had enough to worry about without trying to work out if there were new budding romances within their folds.

 


	53. Reunited in the East

**LII**

**Reunited in the East**

Fresh snowfall made the trip east slow, but as the mountain pass opened up to the lake that the city of Tobu Misaki-Mura was built beside, they felt like they had returned to their second home. Snow covered much of the grass that overlooked the lake, sunlight catching the frozen droplets and making the entire field sparkle. The small wooded area that wrapped around the lake was in a hibernation state, most of the trees had lost their leaves and now only icicles hung from their branches. Birds fluttered in and out of them, watching the travellers in curiosity as the horses weaved in and out of the trees before reaching the bridge. Braziers lit the way across the waterfall, flames dancing in the breeze as the cold spray hit their faces. The first change they noticed was the people of the city, families had moved back into their old homes and repairs had been made. Some buildings had been torn down or renovated to fit better purposes but the streets were still laid out the same way.

They dismounted to make it easier to travel through the reasonably busy streets. It surprised them just how quickly life had returned to the former ghost town. Hinata’s eyes were wide as he took in the snow-covered rooftops, his fingers twitched at the distant memory of the last harsh cold seasons he experienced. The trees that lined the main streets around the city were decorated with brightly coloured bunting, some of it spreading out to connect buildings to one another.

“Tobio’s done well.” Suga remarked to Daichi as they came upon the large hall in the market square. It had remained untouched in the recent activity, still and cold whilst other buildings were alight with life. The plaza that had been eerily empty last time they were here now had several city guards standing around and pointing at the ground seemingly in a debate about something.

“He has.” Daichi smiled. “I wonder what he actually wants from me and Hinata?”

With only one way to find out, they pressed on up the hill towards the imposing fortress of Hokubujōsai. The gates were wide open, the brazier in the center of the pond burning fiercely. Daichi didn’t get a chance to knock on the door before they burst open. Two guards parted and allowed Yamaguchi to approach them with a beaming smile.

“It’s good to see you again.” He nodded in greeting.

“Aye, it’s nice to see the city so busy.”

Yamaguchi’s smile grew. “I know! It’s really…something.” He sighed, shaking his head .”Sorry, I’m just excited.”

Suga raised an eyebrow. “How come?”

Yamaguchi gestured for them to enter. “You’ll find out, come in out of the cold.”

The four of them followed Yamaguchi into the fortress. Servants and guards bustled about as they approached the throne room. The doors were opened but there was no announcement, it seemed that Tobio didn’t feel the need to have his guests announced. The king himself was deep in conversation with Asahi and a man that appeared to be the captain of the city guard. He paused when he caught a glimpse of them and dismissed the other, smiling as he approached Daichi and took his hand in a firm handshake.

“I’m glad you could make it back.” He nodded, smiling still as he shook each of their hands. When he got to Hinata he abruptly pulled him into a hug, much to Hinata’s surprise and everyone else’s amusement. “Anyway, I should explain.”

“Please do, it took us a week to get here _and_ I left Kuroo in charge.”

Tobio chuckled. “Well, it’s quite simple Daichi. You told Asahi that we should honour the tradition my forefather’s set up; the winter feast. It took a bit of organisation and a lot of hard work mainly on Tadashi’s part, but we’ve finally got everything ready.”

Daichi nodded “Ah so it is just that, no surprise quests for us?”

Tobio snorted. “No, not this time. Please, feel free to make yourselves at home here.”

Before they dismissed themselves to one of the many guest quarters, Kiyoko caught Tobio’s attention with a question that had been burning in her mind since they arrived.

“How did you manage to get your people to come back so quickly? We only left a little over a month ago.”

Tobio shrugged. “Kyoutani personally rode out to some of the settlements to the north, I don’t know what he said or did, but within a few days of him returning, the people arrived.” He glanced at Yamaguchi. “And you went west once the border was shifted, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Yamaguchi replied “we had to clean up some of the ruined settlements that the invasion left behind but those that had been part of House Oikawa’s land were actually quite happy to be back under our banner.”

Suga chuckled. “I wonder how Tooru feels about that.”

Tobio folded his arms across his chest. “Well, you can ask him when he gets here.”

“Where’s Inuoka?” Hinata abruptly asked. “I wanna see him.”

Daichi gestured for Suga and Kiyoko to follow him to unsaddle their horses, leaving Hinata with Tobio. The king nodded and beckoned him to walk through the palace with him. As much as things had changed, Hinata felt at ease, even more so when he stepped into Inuoka’s chambers once more and saw the mage hard at work drawing runes.

“Inuoka!” He called as he waved, Tobio rolled his eyes slightly but smiled as he stood in the doorway and watched his court mage drop his charcoal on the floor and immediately sweep up Hinata in a hug.

“How is everything?” Inuoka asked, letting go of Hinata and looking him up and down. “Have you learnt any cool new tricks?”

Hinata shook his head. “Not really, I’ve been working on vortexes—”

“Ooh show me!”

The king took that as his cue to leave, there was a lot more to do before the festivities began. He found Yamaguchi in the kitchens giving instructions to the staff, the food stores were being inspected ahead of the feast, there wasn’t going to be any sub-par food served. Tobio was adamant his people deserved the best after everything they had been through.

“Everything going well?” He asked, Yamaguchi huffed in reply before giving him a tired smile.

“If by ‘well’ you mean that catering for another king is causing some of serving girls to swoon so much that they dropped half a dozen eggs, then yes.”

Tobio snorted. “Tell them Tooru has no interest in ladies, that should set them straight.”

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes. “And what of you sire?”

Tobio declined to answer that question, stepping away from the organised chaos. As he strode into the throne room, Asahi approached him with a relaxed smile.

“The city guard is reporting a lot of excitement ahead of the feast tomorrow.” He nudged Tobio’s shoulder. “The scouts have been gathering wood from the pine forests today so they’ll be assembling the fire at dawn’s light.”

“Good to hear.” Tobio’s gaze was drawn to the open hatch in the wall. “And what great tell is Kyoutani up to?”

Asahi followed his gaze to see the dragon tamer sat on the ledge, his legs hanging down as he simply watched the hustle and bustle.

“Good question. I’m sure he said he was taking Aoi out to scout the mountains for any threats.”

Tobio raised an eyebrow. “I’ll go and speak to him myself then, if I stand in one place too long people start asking me for things.”

There was a hearty chuckle from Asahi as Tobio stepped away. He made his way up to the top of the stairs and knocked on the door to the quarters beyond. Kyoutani called for him to enter without moving from the ledge. The dragon’s eyes met Tobio’s for a split second before she went back to dozing peacefully, Tobio thought nothing of it as he carefully sat beside Kyoutani.

From their vantage point, they could watch the comings and goings of the throne room; supplies bound for the kitchen were hauled in, the new banners of House Kageyama were being hung up - the dragon now looking more like the one Hinata had conjured as the voice of the mountain rather than the previous - Asahi and Yamaguchi would walk back and forth directing the various new servants to their duties. It made for interesting viewing.

“Y’know I’m not sure what the fuss is about here.” Kyoutani broke the silence. “Like, you’re throwing a feast for your kingdom, why are you inviting Tooru?”

Tobio had expected the question at some point, just not from Kyoutani. “Well we may have a treaty and the border has been moved, but we’ve yet to publicly declare our alliance.”

“Ah, so you needed him to get his snooty nobles on board first and now you’re gonna make a show of being brothers in arms again?” Kyoutani hummed. “Smart, kind of.”

“Kind of?”

“People outside the kingdoms might see it as a challenge to test the new bond.” Kyoutani met his gaze. “And you both know that you’re not short of enemies.”

Tobio shrugged. “We’ll deal with them soon enough.” He cast his gaze back towards the room below. “I just want us to have a chance to relax as well, all of us, before we do.”

“So that’s also why you invited Daichi.” Kyoutani nodded. “I’m seeing it now…but why Hinata?”

There was a softer smile on Tobio’s face as he mulled over his response. “I just wanted to see him again in less dire circumstances.”

Kyoutani raised an eyebrow but didn’t reply, he smiled and laughed, leaning back on his hands. They continued watching the people below for a while before one of the city guards walked in and started asking where Tobio was.

“Looks like you’re needed down there sire.” Kyoutani hummed.

“Yeah.” Tobio sighed, slowly getting to his feet. “Oh and by the way, in case it wasn’t obvious, you’re invited to this feast too Kentarou.” He found Kyoutani’s slightly shocked expression amusing. “You are after all, a friend of the House.”

Kyoutani nodded slowly, not quite sure how to respond. Tobio saw himself out, making his way to the guard asking for his presence. Tooru had arrived in the city apparently and was making his way up to the fortress as they spoke. Tobio wasn’t really sure why he needed to be told right that second, but he dismissed the guard and simply ordered them to allow the visiting king and his party into the fortress.

Whilst he waited, Tobio admired the new banner hanging behind his throne, there was the same dark blue stripe with a black background, but the main difference was the more serpent-like orange dragon that coiled around itself. He smiled slightly as he felt a sense of pride wash over him. It felt more like it was _his_ House banner, not just one he inherited.

“Tobio~” A loud voice called through the throne room. Tobio let out a small sigh before turning to see Tooru entering the room with Iwaizumi by his side. “I love how busy your city is but _gods_ it’s hard to ride through the crowds.”

“Surely you’re used to that in your own damn city?” Tobio remarked, stepping close enough to be dragged into a hug by the other. He merely exchanged a nod in greeting with the knight before preparing to have his ear talked off by Tooru.

“Pft.” Tooru huffed. “But the people in my city know who I am and that I need to get to places quickly.”

“Uh huh.” Tobio blanched. “But you still have to ride through crowds.”

There was a slight twang of irritation evident on Tooru’s face. “That’s not my point.”

“Oh?” Tobio folded his arms across his chest. “Is it more that you’re just another visitor to my people?” He let a coy smile play on his lips. “Because I don’t find it hard to ride through the crowds.”

“Alright,” Tooru smiled a little too sweetly “you win this round Tobio, but that’s because I’m _dying_  to soak in your hot springs.”

“So that’s why you arrived so quickly. Huh.” Tobio chuckled. “Go ahead, be my guest.”

“Oh I will.” Tooru smugly replied. “Why don’t you join us? I have some juicy court gossip, and I’m sure it’s the most exciting thing you’ll hear for awhile.”

“Is that right? Well I’ll tell Daichi, I invited the Brotherhood too but only a handful accepted.” He explained, walking with Tooru towards the west wing. “The rest are back home under Kuroo’s leadership.”

“Probably terrorising bandits.” Tooru sighed. “I need to talk to Daichi actually about some ideas I’ve had.”

A member of the serving staff was sent to fetch Daichi Whilst the kings continued their discussion. Meanwhile, Hinata had been in Inuoka’s quarters showing off his steady command of the three elements. Fire, snow and lighting all swirled in a twisting mass without needing a barrier to keep them confined. The court mage was in awe at the prowess on show. Books had been pulled from the shelves and Inuoka was in the midst of telling Hinata about creating his own runes when the door opened.

“Who is it—” Inuoka started before he recognised the other. “Shirabu!”

The court mage of House Oikawa smiled, albeit reluctantly. “Yes, that’s me.”

“What…why are you here?” Hinata asked.

“Tooru wanted me to ‘mingle with other mages’.” Shirabu replied, making air quotes with his fingers.

“Ahhh.” Inuoka grinned. “You done any more necromancy rituals since we last saw each other?”

“For the _l_ _ast_ time you moron, that was a one-off request.” Shirabu said through gritted teeth. “I don’t make a habit of it.”

Inuoka didn’t seem to believe him. “Sure Kenjirou.” He chuckled. “Well Hinata and I were just discussing runes.”

Shirabu raised an eyebrow. “Runes. That’s relatively…normal even for you.”

“Runes to fire other elements through.” Hinata elaborated.

“Ah, there’s the abnormal.” Shirabu sighed. “Alright, how far have you gotten?”

The willingness to go along with the latest idea surprised both Inuoka and Hinata, however they didn’t let it faze them as Shirabu paced over and took a look at the notes they had made on the parchment. Time passed in the mage quarters, they tested several different combinations of runes to try and make a portal capable of casting an elemental spell through. Several small fires had broken out but Inuoka’s cool composure was demonstrated alongside his ice powers to put the fires out. Shirabu had almost shrugged off his usual abrasive nature as the three of them focused on being successful.

“So double the mixture of lavender.” Shirabu murmured, crushing more of the bright purple flowers in the mortar and pestle. “Add a dose of honey—”

Hinata inhaled. “It smells so sweet…” He smiled as Shirabu ignored his remark.

“And finally,” Shirabu glanced up at the book in front of him “the snake fang.”

Inuoka blinked at him. “Uh…that what?”

“Snake fang.” Shirabu repeated. “Don’t tell me you don’t have a stock of them?”

“Why would I have a jar of snake fangs?”

Hinata picked up the mortar and swirled the contents around as Shirabu launched into a long rant about how ‘every court mage should have a stock of the most basic ingredients’. He tuned out rant and brought the mixture to his lips. He drank it without thinking, getting a panicked noise from Shirabu when the other realised what had happened.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“I figured without the snake fang, it’s not lethal?” Hinata replied, handing the empty bowl back. The mixture was sweet but there was a sharpness to it like overripe grapes.

“It was for a portal, not for you to drink!”

Inuoka gave the note another glance to try and work out what possible effect drinking the mixture would have. He turned his mind to a slightly different effect that seemed to plague Hinata.

“Have you had any further visions?” He asked as Shirabu sighed heavily. Hinata blinked rapidly, holding his head for a moment before replying.

“Not really, I get weird feelings sometimes but no visions.” He shrugged.

“Weird feelings, how?” Inuoka asked, frowning slightly.

Hinata never knew how to explain them. They were almost like he knew he needed to be somewhere, like he was missing something or someone. When he had asked Kenma about it, the other suggested that he was homesick and should visit his family. Hinata had considered it and vowed to visit his sister once the cold season had passed, but it hadn’t made the weird feelings go away. He told Inuoka and Shirabu what he had told Kenma, neither of them seemed to have an immediate response.

“Can’t say it’s like anything I’ve read.” Inuoka sighed, flicking through the closest book to hand. “Not that our entire library is even here.”

“I thought you said everything you had saved was here?” Hinata tilted his head to one side.

Shirabu raised an eyebrow as Inuoka chuckled. “Yeah, but the other half wasn’t in danger. It’s never in danger.”

“Don’t try to talk in riddles.” Shirabu scoffed. “Where’s the other half of this apparent library?”

Inuoka pouted at Shirabu. “Way to ruin the fun,” he uttered “anyway, the other half of the library was sealed in a vault a few kings back. Tobio might know where it is but I wouldn’t count on it. I only know it exists because my mentor alluded to it a few times.”

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Hinata’s head was starting to hurt, he hoped it was just the odd mixture he had drank.

Inuoka shrugged. “Tobio was preoccupied with more important matters than chasing around the idea of a vault of old dusty books.”

Shirabu tutted. “Old dusty books. Have you no respect for scholars who came before you?”

“Well they didn’t exactly leave me any instructions on how to find their legacies so no, not really.” Inuoka stuck his tongue out. “You forget things don’t work around here the way they do where you’re from, Kenjirou.”

There was a tense pause as the court mages stared each other down. Hinata slowly raised his hand. “If I may, what kind of books would they have been to be sealed away?”

Inuoka smiled, closing the book in his hands. “The tomes would’ve been important records of history most likely, and then any magic that was deemed too dangerous or otherwise taboo by whoever was on the throne at the time.”

“Taboo…” Hinata repeated.

“Like necromancy, but worse.” Shirabu elaborated. “You’d think that reanimating a dead body is bad but oh no, there’s worse…there’s always worse.”

“Like what?”

“Like that happened to Kiyoko.” Inuoka stated, his relaxed tone fading and becoming more solemn. “The more twisted side of magic; fusing souls together, manipulating the darkness around us, calling forth creatures that really shouldn’t exist in this world—”

Shirabu cleared his throat. “In any case, said tomes were probably sealed up for a damn good reason.”

“So we’re not going to find it?” Hinata asked, slightly saddened at the idea. He could imagine Kenma and Moniwa loving the idea of feasting their eyes on the knowledge from centuries ago.

Shirabu gave him an incredulous look. “Well put it this way, _I’m_ having no part of a search for forbidden knowledge. What this lunatic does is not my concern.”

Inuoka snorted. “And as this vault is as far as I know ‘unmapped’, I’m not going to exactly trip over the doormat am I?”

“In this kingdom, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Shirabu chuckled. “I’m going to go and see if my king requires me to do anything genuinely useful. I’ll see you both later.”

Hinata watched him go, the fact that there was apparently a whole new library of knowledge out there had brought the uneasy feeling back to him. He ran the conversation through in his mind as Inuoka began tidying away some of the clutter.

“How do you know what happened to Kiyoko?” He abruptly asked.

“Nishinoya told me.” Inuoka smiled. “He also told me that the entire ritual was a feat of sorcery and alchemy that no-one knew Kenma was capable of.”

“Huh…” Hinata wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to know what else the vault could bring to light. He figured that Shirabu was probably right in saying that there was a reason those books were sealed up and forgotten about, but something still bothered him about it all.

“You wanna continue or do you want to—”

“Yes!” Hinata answered abruptly. “I want to be able to make portals like you.”

Inuoka nodded and smiled. “Right, well let’s start from the beginning again yeah?”

 

 


	54. Invincible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like my upload 'schedule' has now gone out the window as I've been swept up in preparing for the festivities of the coming week so for all I know I could end up uploading every day at this rate x3

**LIII**

**Invincible**

“Let me get this straight,” Daichi sighed, glancing back and forth between Tobio and Tooru “you want me to send some of the guild north?”

“Just two or three, yes.” Tooru nodded, leaning back against the smooth stone of the hot springs. “I can’t send any of my scouts or soldiers up there because that’ll be an act of war.”

“So you want us to…be your cannon fodder?”

Tobio snorted, trying to hold back a laugh as Tooru scowled slightly. “No, not cannon fodder.” Tooru uttered. “Shirabu seems to think that your guild is good at infiltrating places.”

“He’s not wrong.” Daichi dared to smile. “But I’m going to need more to go on than ‘north’. What exactly are you asking of us?”

The tranquil surroundings of the cavern eased some of the tension brought up by this topic of conversation. Daichi had figured there was more to this trip than festive celebrations. The three leaders had been left alone with Iwaizumi and Asahi posted at the doors to the cavern to ensure total privacy. Daichi had somewhat wished he had dragged Suga and Kiyoko down if he had known this was going to be discussed.

“What I’m asking,” Tooru chose his words carefully “is for you to send some of your guild into the heart of the northern territories and investigate. We need to know who we’re actually dealing with, who’s pulling the strings, how many men do they have ready to fight…those kinda things.”

“Do you need anyone killed?”

Tooru’s eyes widened. “Gods no, I mean I’m all for you causing disharmony but I’m not asking you to assassinate their leader.”

Tobio snorted. “Why not? It would solve a few problems.”

“Tobio, you don’t get it.” Tooru sighed. “Killing the leader doesn’t get rid of the threat, if anything it’ll rally them to pick a new one and strike us back.”

“They’d have to prove we had anything to do with it.” Tobio remarked. “Rogue band of mercenaries kills their leader, whoops.” He shrugged.

Daichi resisted the urge to laugh, as amusing as the thought of someone like Yaku ‘accidentally’ assassinating someone was, this was a much more serious issue. Accepting the job would mean he’d have to return to the guild and ask three or four of them to willingly go into unchartered lands - for them at least - and risk their lives to gather information for the kingdom. If they were found, there was no telling what fate would greet them.

“I’ll consider it.” He answered finally.

Tooru shook his head. “I need you to give me a solid answer.”

Daichi held the gaze of the king, dark brown eyes commanded respect from him in the way they stared at him.

“Sire, I cannot simply agree to those terms without at least speaking to Suga. I may be the Brotherhood’s leader, but I don’t command them like an army.”

“I respect that.” Tooru murmured. “But we don’t have time—”

Tobio sighed loudly. “We do have time, you’re just being impatient as you’ve always been.” He met Daichi’s gaze. “Once the festivities here are over, return to your Brotherhood and tell them of the proposition, or you can always try to send one of our hawks.”

“Hawks…” Daichi hadn’t heard about Tobio having hawks.

The king smiled. “Crows and ravens don’t cut it out here in the cold season. Hawks are the way to go.”

“Very well,” Tooru huffed. “Send a hawk to your guild, I’d like at least half a decision before I return to Tanishiti.”

“I can already picture how well Kuroo is gonna react to this.” Daichi breathed, relaxing a little.

Despite the stand-off nature of the conversation, the tension in the air seemed to fade as Tooru went back to regaling them with gossip from the nobles of his kingdom. From what Daichi could pick out, the war council were rather boring, the ‘real fun’ came from the lower nobles who would squabble over the simplest of things in order to get attention from the king himself. The stories weren’t quite as entertaining as the dessert heist or Yamamoto’s prank on the night guard, but Daichi could appreciate the little amusing moments.

“And I told him, that if he _ever_ brings a damn swine into my throne room ever again I’ll make sure his family’s sigil is changed to reflect his _clear_ love for the animal.” Tooru ran a hand through his hair. “Gods I hate these nobles.”

Tobio laughed. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that shit here.”

“Does anyone want to challenge your ruling?” Tooru asked, slightly curious.

“No-one dares to.” Tobio muttered. “The mountain would have a minor issue with it.”

“Ah this mountain…”

“It’s a great incentive to not rock the boat.” Tobio hummed. “Besides, if anyone really wanted the throne, they had two years to claim it and they didn’t.”

“Valid point.” Tooru nodded. “But aren’t there any noble families at all?”

Tobio shrugged. “We don’t really have ‘nobles’ here. We have skilled people; blacksmiths, farriers, archers, swordsmen, craftsman…” he listed off several more professions before continuing with his point “and each of them is respected by the royal family. If anyone has an issue with how the kingdom is being run, they bring it up with the king.”

“Ah.” Tooru sighed. “I can imagine that’s a long line.”

“Excuse me?”

“Long line of people complaining?” Tooru relaxed a little more, slipping under the water a little more. “I know I’d be tied up for days if I offered that kind of service to my people.”

Tobio snorted. “Actually I barely get more than a handful a week.” He remarked, turning his nose up at Tooru. “My people seem to respect that running this kingdom isn’t as easy as you’d think.”

Daichi was starting to get the feeling this conversation was about to turn into a more competitive debate soon. He sighed heavily, drawing their attention away from the topic.

“So, something I was wondering Tooru,” he said now that he had the king’s attention. “The Brotherhood are obviously, criminals with various bounties on our heads for various reasons…”

“I’m not pardoning anyone for murder.” Tooru replied. “You got yourselves into that mess, you pay up to get rid of them.”

Daichi rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I was getting at.” He sighed again. “It’s about Kuroo.”

“The one who apparently used to call the Serpents his friends?” Tobio asked. “Go on.”

“What is it?” Tooru nodded for Daichi to continue.

He mulled over how to word his thoughts. “I can’t send him north, if you don’t want the leader of the Blue Serpents to end up dead I can’t send him up there. He’s told me he will kill him at the next opportunity.” He glanced between the two kings. “I need you to come up with some royal decree to send him…elsewhere.”

Tooru raised an eyebrow. “He’s got that much of a vendetta?”

“Yeah, they ruined his life as he knew it, they’re continuing to come after him and us as a result. But if I ask for volunteers to go north he’ll be the first to put his hand up.” Daichi shook his head. “I can’t let him do that but equally he won’t listen to me. He will listen to a legally binding order from one or both kings.”

“You want me to come up with some donkey work for him to do whilst you send more stable people north?” Tooru snorted. “Really? I could easily just throw him in jail for multiple counts of murder, theft and hooliganism.”

Daichi wasn’t sure if that was a better option or not. “Well, we still have leads on the Serpent’s activity in the southern region, the slave ships an’ all…aren’t you investigating the kidnappings down there?”

Tooru looked thoughtful for a few moments. “I could send him on official business down there I guess, Yamamoto can go with him.”

“Your captain of the guard? Not a wise idea.” Tobio snorted. “Just let Kuroo go with other members of the guild, parading your guards around with him will only annoy him and slow him down.”

“And how would you know that?” Tooru quipped.

“He’s an assassin. He isn’t gonna want to have a guard chained to him.” Tobio rolled his eyes.

Daichi chuckled. “I have to agree with Tobio, Kuroo wouldn’t want someone he doesn’t trust watching his back. He’d probably take Akaashi or Bokuto with him.”

After a few moments of thought Tooru nodded. “Very well, I’ll draft up something when I return to Tanishiti. Expect it to be delivered to your guild personally by a courier.”

Daichi nodded. “You have my thanks.”

“No need,” he smiled “just make sure the rest of your guild get the info we need from the north.”

With another nod, Daichi could relax a little more now.

 

* * *

 

 

The skies were clear the next day, the winds were calm enough for Daichi to send a hawk towards the guild, he hoped that Akaashi wouldn't be too annoyed at the impressive bird of prey showing up. With the matter of going north put firmly at the back of his mind, Daichi allowed himself to relax and enjoy the festivities he was here for in the first place. He had told Suga and Kiyoko about the proposition Tooru made, neither of them had a strictly opposing view to acting upon his majesty’s wishes but they didn’t seem to want to talk in depth without the others either.

As the sun began to set that evening, everyone was summoned to the plaza in the centre of the city. A large fire had been built out of logs from the pine forests behind Hokubujōsai, several long tables had been brought out of the castle’s storage and vast platters of food laid out upon them. Hinata looked around in awe as the people of the city were bustling with excitement for something he wasn’t aware of.

Silence swept over the crowd as Asahi walked through the crowd, Tobio a few steps behind him holding a large glass torch, the flame flickered as he moved slowly. He wasn’t wearing his formal court attire, he had dressed down for the occasion, but the silver crown still sat atop his head as he halted at the base of the fire.

He met Hinata’s gaze for a fleeting moment as he scanned the crowds watching him. Hinata could sense nervousness in him, being the centre of attention at an obviously important ceremony.

The king took a long inhale before steeling himself. “As you all know, these last three winters have not been the easiest. Two of which, none of us were even here.” He spoke with confidence, Hinata couldn’t imagine how it felt to have so many people watching and listening to him. “But those days are firmly behind us now, I have come to accept what has come to pass and that nothing I can do will bring back those we lost.”

There was a murmur of agreement but no-one dared to interrupt. Tobio glanced at the flame in the ceremonial torch, his eyes reflected the warm orange glow it gave off.

“We lost many on that day, the kingdom lost her leader for a time. I came back to reclaim this land in honour of my parents, of my grandfather who gave us all a reason to smile.” He swallowed, trying to keep his composure. “Whilst those responsible are still at large, tonight we won’t dwell on that. Tonight, we remember those we lost but we also thank the gods that not all of us were slain.”

He glanced at Hinata again, the ghost of a smile flickering over his face.

“I also want to honour those who have aided in rebuilding what was lost.” He used his free hand to gesture to the members of the Brotherhood. “A band of mercenaries showed up here looking for plunder, instead they found the wounded kingdom of Kageyama and rather than leaving us…me to fend for myself,” he smiled “they showed compassion where others may not have. They put themselves in harm’s way to help, and if it wasn’t for that kindness, we wouldn’t be standing here today.”

A cheer went up abruptly, a few people immediately started shaking Daichi and Suga’s hands in thanks before Tobio called for quiet again.

“And, let us not forget the kindness our neighbours have shown us.” He gestured to Tooru and Iwaizumi. “King Tooru of House Oikawa not only answered my calls to right the wrongs of the past but has been nothing but the good friend I remember him being from our childhood days.” He nodded in thanks. “And his majesty and I will continue to strengthen the bonds of our kingdoms against any and all foes we face.”

He held the glass torch higher. “With the lighting of this fire, not only will this be the beginning of the feast, but it will be the end of House Kageyama’s dark age and the beginning of a new chapter, a stronger friendship between two kingdoms. For together our kingdoms will prosper, together the dragon and the phoenix will rise.”

He threw the glass torch down, shattering the glass against the thick pine logs. The fire caught quickly as a cheer went up. Tobio nodded to the bards who immediately started playing merry music to go along with the feast. Tobio was quick to find his way to the guild before the crowds could swamp either of them.

“I hope you didn’t mind my speech.” He remarked. Suga chuckled as Daichi found himself being thanked yet again.

“It’s nice to be recognised for good things and not because we’re on wanted posters.” Kiyoko replied.

Tobio laughed. “Well, in any case, enjoy the evening.” He nodded, turning to the cluster of people that were already wanting his attention.

The fire roared, flames licking the cool air. Hinata found a roof to sit on and watch the crowds enjoying themselves. He could see Daichi and Iwaizumi in an animated conversation with Asahi. Shirabu and Inuoka had commandeered a table and were happily stuffing their faces. Even Kyoutani had ventured down to enjoy the merriment, though his dragon was nowhere to be seen. Suga and Kiyoko were entertaining some of the children with a play sword fight, some wooden sticks had been saved from the fire and were being used as weapons. Meanwhile Tooru was in his element talking to anyone and everyone about all sorts of things, a flagon of wine in his hand as he regaled people with his stories. Yamaguchi appeared to have been tasked with keeping an eye on him as he refilled the other’s flagon with wine.

“Hey.” The quiet voice threw Hinata off. He choked on the piece of bread he was chewing and nearly fell off the roof.

“You scared me.” He murmured after he stopped choking. Tobio chuckled as he sat down next to the other.

“Sorry, I didn’t want anyone else to know I was up here.”

Hinata shrugged, looking at the other. Sometimes it was hard for him to believe they were the same age, Tobio shouldered a lot more responsibilities than he did and often had to act like he was more Tooru’s age than he was.

“I thought the idea of today was for people to talk to you?”

Tobio raised an eyebrow briefly before meeting Hinata’s gaze. “You’re talking to me, therefore I’m not breaking any rules.”

“….I guess.” Hinata let out a nervous laugh. Tobio gave him a slightly puzzled look, prompting him to say whatever was on his mind. “Why did you summon me here? Like,” he fidgeted a little “I get inviting Daichi, he’s the guild leader, but me?”

Tobio bit on his lip slightly before letting a more relaxed smile play on his face. “Simply put Shoyo,” he spoke quietly “I just feel more at ease when you’re around. It’s…it’s like when you’re here, things just make more sense.”

“Make more sense?” Hinata would say the opposite occurred if the questions that Kenma always asked were anything to go by.

“Yeah” It was Tobio’s turn to laugh a little nervously “I-I was scared about tonight, about how the people would react. I’m not my grandfather, I won’t be as great as him so I thought they might shun me.” He met Hinata’s gaze again. “I wanted you here because you make me feel a little stronger…like I’m invincible.”

Hinata swallowed, he wasn’t sure how his presence alone could have that effect, but he understood that it clearly meant a lot to Tobio. He smiled and let out a breathless laugh.

“I guess— I guess there’s something more to my powers strengthening in your kingdom than coincidence.”

Tobio’s eyes widened a little. “You think there’s more to it?”

Hinata didn’t want to necessarily blab about the griffin’s premonitions, nor his weird feelings of missing something. He couldn’t deny there was something pulling him back to this kingdom, something otherworldly and unknown.

“I think I should spend more time here.” He smiled. “I’ve not felt as…” he held up his fingers, the wisps of fire coming to life immediately. “I’ve not felt this connected to a place before.”

Tobio nodded, holding his hand up in a similar manner. “What’s it like, having magic flowing through your veins?”

Hinata twirled his index finger around, the wisp spiralling in response. “It’s comforting in a way.” He closed his fingers into a fist, the flame vanishing with a hiss. “If I find myself without a weapon, I know my magic will protect me…or at least, it has so far.”

“You can wield it like a weapon?” Tobio asked.

It occurred to Hinata that the only time Tobio had seen his powers was that one afternoon where he conjured the voice of the mountain. He smiled and snapped his fingers, with little focus and just a simple thought in his head, the flames burst into life and twisted into the form of a dagger. He closed his hand around the hilt, grasping it without flinching at the heat. Tobio’s eyes were wide once more as he marvelled at the blazing blade.

“I can do it with ice and lightning too.” Hinata held up his other hand and snapped his fingers. Powdered snow swirled in the cold air, twirling and floating into his palm slowly at first before he exhaled. Within a second the snow had become glassy, shimmering in the light of the fiery dagger as the blade of ice formed.

He held up both daggers so Tobio could see them before he tossed them into the air and snapped his fingers to make them vanish. Powdered snow and small flecks of ash fell onto the roof as he held two hands in front of him and focused more intently. With a short exhale he felt the now familiar tingling in his fingertips. A quiet crackling could be heard before the first few bright flashes of light exploded forth. Tobio watched as the bolts of lightning started fusing together to make a double ended spear. Hinata waited until the weapon was stable before pulling both ends away from each other and demonstrating the duel-wielding nature of it.

“Cool huh?” He grinned, the lightning continuing to crackle as Tobio looked at the magic on show.

“It’s…something.” Tobio nodded. “You’re really something.”

Hinata chuckled, letting the lightning spearheads fade. He reached within the folds of his clothes and pulled out the chain he always wore. The runestones clacked together, six in total now that Kenma had given him an extra stone for each element now he was wielding his power more freely. The three original stones now had a smaller chain suspended from them holding another of its colour.

“Kenma said he’ll have to make a new chain for me at this rate.” He beamed as Tobio’s gaze flickered over it. “Especially if I start learning the next two.”

Tobio was vaguely aware of there being two additional elements, Inuoka had told him about them late one night over dinner. His mind however was drifting as he looked out over his people enjoying the festivities. Once the Brotherhood had left, he hadn’t taken a day’s rest until now. There was always another message to answer, another matter to attend to. He knew taking back his kingdom wasn’t going to be easy, that not having his family to guide him was going to make it harder but he was determined to do right by them.

To see the people having an enjoyable evening after the past few weeks of hard work made him feel like he had made a good start. There was still much to do to return his kingdom to her former glory, but it would come over time. The next test would be dealing with the men of the north, it would be a test of his resolve as well as the new alliance with Tooru’s kingdom.

“Say, I’m still hungry,” Hinata abruptly changed the topic “can we get some more food?”

Tobio snorted. “Be my guest.”


	55. An Old Acquaintance

**LIV**

**An Old Acquaintance**

The fire hissed in the hearth, Yaku watched as the flames engulf another log. It was quiet in the guild that night, the wind howled outside the door, the wood creaking in protest. Lev was sat at his feet peering up at him, the glow of the fire reflecting off the metal plating of his armour.

“Yo Morisuke,” Kunimi’s voice broke the comfortable silence “are you busy?”

Yaku shook his head. “Not really, why?”

He glanced at the other stood in the doorway that led to the tunnel, there was a slightly troubled look on his face but he was doing a decent job at masking it. Yaku had known him far too long to buy it though. Kunimi stepped closer, handing him a letter with the orange seal of House Kageyama.

“This arrived by means of a hawk.” Kunimi uttered, keeping his voice low. “It’s…addressed to you rather than Kuroo.”

Yaku frowned but took the letter. If it was a message for the guild, then it would’ve been addressed to Kuroo or Daichi, not _him_. He broke the seal and scanned the inked words. It didn’t take long to figure out why he was the recipient of this message.

“Ah.” He breathed, leaning forward and rubbing his chin. “I see.”

Kunimi took a seat on the opposite bench, Lev chirped in greeting as he wheeled around to rub his face against Kunimi’s shin.

“What is it?” He asked, reaching down and stroking Lev’s head.

Yaku shook his head. “It’s nothing major, but I get why Daichi didn’t want Kuroo reading this.”

Kunimi raised an eyebrow but before he could question it further the door to the guild leader’s quarters opened. Spooked by the idea of getting caught, Yaku shoved the letter into his pocket only to let out a sigh of relief when it was Akaashi who walked out of the room. There was a pause as Akaashi took in the situation, he met Yaku’s gaze with the stoic expression he was renowned for.

_What are you hiding?_

Yaku shrugged. “Not hiding anything.”

Akaashi didn’t show a reaction, he seemed to brush it off as he continued through towards the kitchen. Yaku waited until he was sure the other was out of earshot before loosely explaining the contents of the letter.

“Tobio and Tooru want us to go north to find out what the lie of the land is.” He spoke quietly, as he leaned forward, prompting Kunimi to do the same. “But Daichi doesn’t want Kuroo to go for obvious reasons.”

Kunimi snorted. “But killing the leader might be a good—”

Yaku shook his head. “No, they don’t want him to be assassinated. The letter states both kings want us to just gather information, but the temptation to do more might be too much for certain people.”

There was a nod of understanding from Kunimi. “So are they on their way home or what?”

Yaku shrugged. “Daichi said that they’d be leaving ‘soon’, how soon that is…eh.” He shrugged again, glancing down at Lev who was trying to groom himself despite the armour hindering the process.

The quiet of the guild was starting to get under Yaku’s skin. He wasn’t used to it being this calm. Even Nishinoya and Tanaka had been abnormally well behaved as of late. There was no point going outside to do anything other than hunt for food, which Nishinoya and Tanaka had volunteered to do that evening, leaving the quiet even more noticeable. The bitterly cold winds made leaving the guild for any other reason a miserable affair. Yaku was starting to get restless, he was almost wishing for something to happen to give them something to do.

He quickly wished he hadn’t entertained that thought.

The sound of wood splintering set him and Kunimi on edge. They rose to their feet immediately as the sounds of a struggle could be heard. Neither of them had any weapons on them but that didn’t stop them investigating. Yaku was trying to reason that it was just a bear or wolf that had gotten in but as raised voices broke the quiet, he got a sickening feeling in his stomach.

He rounded the corner to find three people with scarves covering their jaws, leaving only their eyes to be seen. Snow clung to their clothing and more notably their drawn blades. Kunimi froze as Yaku put up a hand, the gesture telling him more than words needed, he didn’t see what the threat was but he understood the danger.

“Unhand him.” Yaku demanded of the thugs who had Akaashi pinned to the wall, three on one meant the other hadn’t stood a chance. Their attention jumped to him, his fingers flexed as he debated how he was going to fix this situation. Two of them seemed to be underlings to the third, the one putting most of his weight against Akaashi, blade at his throat in a threat.

“Why should we?” The confident voice rubbed Yaku the wrong way. He didn’t recognise it, but there was no way these were simple thugs.

“Because you’re in for a world of pain if you don’t.” He uttered, stepping into the kitchen. He knew where Suga kept the butchering knives, he just had to get hold of one.

Akaashi watched Yaku stalk around the large table in the centre of the room, he was frozen in fear of what they were going to do if he tried to wrestle out of their hold.

There was a snort, a slight chuckle came from the one pinning Akaashi to the wall. “Uh huh, if that’s your game then I guess you’ve left me with little choice.” He abruptly tugged Akaashi away from the wall, manhandling him into the hold of another thug.

Akaashi found the blade at his throat again, steel pressing against his skin as he met Yaku’s gaze.

_Don’t try to fight them. We’re not the one they want._

Yaku let out a short exhale. He knew Bokuto was probably in the armoury just on the other side of the door, but this wasn’t a call to arms, not yet anyway.

“What do you want then,” he nodded to the apparent leader of the trio “money? Food?”

There was a sarcastic laugh. “Don’t play dumb Morisuke.” He taunted, waving his blade around. “Where is he?”

Yaku swallowed. “What do you want with him?”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll flush him out myself.”

Yaku was unable to do anything as Akaashi was dragged out of the kitchen and towards the guild leader’s quarters. He was left staring down the last of the trio, amusement in the eyes as they regarded each other across the table.

Kunimi had been efficient whilst Yaku had distracted them. He had grabbed his shurikens and alerted Kuroo to ‘something bad’ going on. By the time Akaashi found himself in the common quarters, Kuroo had come out to meet the attackers, Kunimi by his side.

“Ah, Tetsurou.” The leader of the trio hummed. “Long time no see.”

Kuroo’s eyes narrowed as he took in the situation. He had grabbed the dagger Daichi always kept in his quarters but given the precarious position Akaashi was in, he hadn’t revealed it yet.

“Am I supposed to know you?”

There was a scoff as the male pulled down his hood to reveal the ashy blond hair, the tips of his locks were darker like he had tipped them in tar. He smirked as he pulled down the scarf covering his face and realisation dawned on Kuroo’s face.

“It’s been what, four years?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Semi Eita.” Kuroo breathed. “You’re still with them?”

“Of course,” Semi shrugged “just because _you_ didn’t like our practices doesn’t mean we all hated them.”

Kunimi spotted Bokuto in the shadows of the passageway leading to the other quarters. He subtly waved him off, this was a volatile situation and brute force wasn’t going to solve anything.

“Why are you here?” Kuroo asked, trying to get a measure on what their plan was.

Semi laughed. “You’re cute when you’re clueless.” He stepped closer, the confidence that came with his actions wasn’t faked. With his dagger in one hand, Semi reached out and placed his other hand on Kuroo’s chest. “Are you still the naive little boy you were back then?”

Kuroo inhaled, his free hand clenching into a fist. “No.”

Semi looked up at Kuroo with a smug smile, there were only two or three inches between them in height but it hadn’t always been that way.

“Tell me something,” he whispered, leaning closer, too close for comfort. “How confident are you that you’ll beat us? Like, do you really think you can take him on?”

Akaashi had calmed his breathing, the blade at his throat barely bothered him now. Watching Semi get up in Kuroo’s personal space stirred up a fury in him that he had bottled up. He met Kunimi’s gaze, thankful for his powers at that moment.

_Throw a shuriken at my head. I’ll move in time, trust me._

Kunimi’s eyes widened. Akaashi blinked slowly, he knew Kunimi had one of the fastest draw speeds in the guild, in the seconds it would take for the disc to be launched he would have to duck enough for it to miss but not enough to catch himself on the dagger at his neck.

“It’s not too late Tetsurou.” Semi continued whispering. “He’ll welcome you back, after making an example of you of course.”

Kuroo snorted. “He already did, remember?”

“Well, your mother probably deserved it anyway.” Semi moved back before Kuroo could think about head-butting him. “In any case, you have a choice now; come with us or we kill your lover.”

There was a split second before chaos erupted. Before Kunimi could move, a ball of fur and metal leapt from the rafters above Semi. With a hiss, Lev latched himself onto Semi’s shoulder and sunk his claws in, tail thrashing in fury as Semi let out a confused yelp. Seizing the opportunity, Kunimi launched the shuriken at Akaashi who snapped his head to the left to allow the spinning disc to sail past and strike the thug. Once the hold on him had weakened, Akaashi elbowed him in the chest before wheeling round and landing a punch to his jaw.

Lev was ferociously clawing at Semi’s face as any attempts to shake him off failed. The clashing of daggers striking against armour plating rang out. Bokuto had since stormed out of the shadows and had gotten the thug into a headlock, holding him still as Kuroo watched Lev singlehandedly taking on Semi.

“Get this fucking cat off me!”

Before anyone could intervene, the third thug stumbled into the room, blood pouring from an open wound on his neck as Yaku gave chase. He crashed into Semi and sent them both to the floor. Lev leapt off and stood to hiss at them both, fur standing on end where it could under all the armour.

“Should we kill them?” Yaku asked, glancing at Kuroo.

The interim guild leader stepped over to Semi, blood was beading from the scratches on his face, hatred pooling his eyes. Kuroo snorted as he took in the sorry sight of the two thugs that had accompanied his old friend into their quarters.

“I would’ve thought Daishou would’ve at least sent more than one of you if I’m so special to him.”

Semi gritted his teeth. “He’s got bigger fish to fry. You’re just a loose end he wants taken care of.”

“Oh yeah? Well you did a _terrific_ job Eita.” Kuroo smiled. “And I got a message for your dear friend;  _'bring it on. The Brotherhood is waiting.’_  Got it? Now run along.”

With a scowl, Semi scrambled to his feet, ordering his two henchmen to hurry along. They left the guild as quickly as they entered, leaving Kuroo with a new headache to deal with.

“Kuroo.” Yaku broke the heavy silence. “Who the fuck is Daishou?”

Kuroo sighed. “Daishou is the guy who was in charge when I left. He took my departure personally.”

Yaku snorted. “Right, and now you’ve levied a challenge to him… _because_?”

Kuroo shrugged. “Because I’m sick of being hunted by his petty thugs. If he wants me, he can come and get me himself.”

If Yaku had anything to say on the matter, he didn’t. He simply stalked away, wiping the residue of blood off his hands as he took in the damage to the door. A faint pained sound caught his ears, he poked his head out into the courtyard and found Kindaichi slumped on the floor.

“Oh gods.” He uttered, immediately rushing to the other’s aid. “Yuutarou?”

Kindaichi glanced up, his side had been slashed and there was a worrying amount of blood seeping through his clothes. “They…they struck quickly.”

Yaku nodded. “It’s fine, they’re gone, we’re all safe—”

“Get me inside.”

Yaku helped Kindaichi to his feet before helping him inside. He all but kicked the door to Kenma’s quarters open and delivered their injured brother to the alchemist. Moniwa and Kenma confessed they had heard the commotion but as they had little to no combat knowledge, couldn’t intervene. Yaku waved off their concerns as Kindaichi hissed in pain. The table was cleared and Kenma immediately set to work peeling back the layers of clothing to reveal the deep slash wound.

“It’s not spurting out, so you’re not gonna die.” Kenma stated, gesturing for Moniwa to fetch him the supplies he’d need.

“Great.” Kindaichi grunted, throwing his head back against the table as he tried to keep still. The commotion had drawn the attention of the others, Kunimi pushing through to Kindaichi’s side and clasping his hand between both of his.

“Shit, what happened?”

Kindaichi snorted. “Got blindsided, I’m fine.” He grimaced.

“You’re _bleeding_ .”

Kenma worked quickly to smear the paste around the edges of the wound. He gently ushered everyone back far enough before flexing his fingers.

“Try not to break Kunimi’s hand.” He uttered, the flames fizzling into life. Kindaichi gritted his teeth as the heat stung his already wounded body. A sharp yelp left him as Kenma’s fingers made contact, the smell of burnt flesh wafting through the air and making most of those present grimace.

“Done.” Kenma declared, the flames vanishing. “Lie still whilst I finish patching you up.”

Kindaichi’s breathing was laboured as the more tender touches applied the bandages to the wound. Kunimi watched in silence, the memories of his own time on the table coming back all too quickly.

“Hey,” Kindaichi slipped his hands out of Kunimi’s and reached up to poke his forehead. “I’ll be fine.”

“…you were the first point of contact.” Kunimi murmured, meeting his gaze. “That’s not your job, it’s mine.”

Kindaichi rolled his eyes. “It’s freezing out there, you’d catch the worst fever if you were on your post.”

Kunimi shook his head. “I still should’ve been around.”

“What’s done is done Akira.” He poked Kunimi’s forehead again, wincing as Kenma finished applying bandages. He gingerly sat up on the table and placed a hand to his new wound. “You might have to help me with the horses for a few days.”

“Course,” Kunimi nodded “do they need anything for now?”

“Just some feed for the night and maybe an extra blanket each.” Kindaichi slowly sat up on the table, “I can—”

“No.” Kunimi stated. “I’ll handle it, you go to the fire and warm up.”

Kenma couldn’t help but smile a little at Kunimi giving orders of self-care. It amused him a little to see a usually cold-hearted individual show empathy. He fully expected to be left to put his room back to how it was before he had to perform abrupt medical procedures, sadly for Kenma, he wasn’t going to be left alone just yet.

Yaku let out a heavy sigh as he shut the door. Moniwa approached the table to see the letter produced to Kenma by him. Kenma didn’t say anything at first, merely rereading the contents before wrinkling his nose.

“Right, and what do you want me to do about it?” He asked.

Yaku gave him an unimpressed look. “Your thoughts? Do I tell Kuroo or should I wait for Daichi to return to break the news?”

“Honesty is the best policy.” Kenma shrugged. “If it’s a direct order from Tooru and Tobio to gather information and not heads on pikes…then it’s a simple matter of sending the likes of you and Kunimi. You know, the stealthy people.”

Yaku wasn’t sure if he was being complimented or not. “He’s thrown the gauntlet down with them though,” he began pacing the room “Semi Eita is gonna want revenge sooner or later, they know where we live and how to easily break in.”

Moniwa glanced between the two of them. “This might sound outrageous,” he spoke up “but could the guild move?”

Yaku froze in place, Kenma swallowed as he considered the idea. Neither of them replied at first, Moniwa expected Yaku to fly off the handle at him for the suggestion.

“It’s the only home some of us have.” Kenma murmured, folding up the letter. “We can’t just decide to move.”

“But what if it’s the only way to protect our family?” Moniwa replied. “Through actions not entirely our own, we’re now in danger. They sent three people this time, who’s to say they don’t send an entire army next time?”

Yaku pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll send a letter to Daichi. He needs to know we were attacked at the very least.”

He left the room quickly, bumping into Nishinoya in the process. Several questions were babbled at him about the apparent attack, Yaku tuned them out as he strode towards the guild leader’s quarters and commandeered the writing desk. He ignored Kuroo’s questions as he penned the letter, keeping it to the straight facts and a plea to return as soon as possible. He continued to ignore the questions as Moniwa’s statement weighed on his mind.

The hawk eyed him as he walked into the courtyard. He winced as the talons dug into his hand, he slotted the letter into the small leather pouch fitted to the bird’s body before holding his arm out. Wings spread wide as the breeze whipped around the courtyard. The bird took flight, wings flapping until the wind took it higher into the night sky.

“Gods help us all.” He uttered, feeling the chill as he paced over to the stables. Amaya took notice of him as he approached her stall, pressing her nose against the palm of his hand. “Hey girl…” he breathed, pressing his forehead against hers.

Flecks of snow began to fall, the clouds obscuring the moonlight. Yaku simply stood there, his horse remaining still as he mulled over the last few hours of chaos. He knew Moniwa was right, this time they had been lucky, but next time they couldn’t be sure they’d have the same luck. He also knew he should tell Kuroo of the orders to travel north, that keeping secrets wasn’t going to benefit them at all.

“What do I do…” he whispered, pulling away slightly and stroking Amaya’s nose. “Things were so much simpler back home.”

“Things always seem simpler in hindsight.” A voice spooked him. He glanced around and saw Nishinoya conjuring light in his hand. “What great tell is weighing on your mind?”

Yaku smiled slightly. “Too much.”

Nishinoya shrugged. “I got time.”

Even with the chill in the air, Yaku recounted not only the skirmish they had with Semi but the letter that had arrived and Moniwa’s suggestion of moving the guild. By the time he was finished a thin layer of snow had settled on the ground. Nishinoya appeared thoughtful as Yaku finished talking, glancing at the fresh snow on the ground and humming.

“Well, as much as I agree with Kenma, Moniwa has a point. And I’m sure Daichi will agree that it’s getting too dangerous.” He answered. “But the problem is, where do we go? This place…” he gestured to the air “we’ve grown into this place. Heck, we’d need a fort or something to really house all of us.”

Yaku nodded, stroking Amaya again. “Yeah, and unless we happen to stumble across a fort, I can’t see that happening.”

“So, we’ll just have to be on guard.” Nishinoya smiled. “We got this Morisuke.”

Yaku wished he could share Nishinoya’s optimism. “Sure Yuu, we got this.” He returned the smile.

 


	56. The Treaty of the Eagle

**LV**

**The Treaty of the Eagle**

 

The days after the winter feast gave Hinata a chance to talk more with Inuoka about his developing powers. Whilst Kenma had sourced a tome on the air element, Hinata hadn’t dared to open it yet. He may have been comfortable in his use of the three basic elements of fire, ice and lightning but he still felt there was always just one more trick he wanted to learn before moving on.

“I think you’ve pretty much mastered everything I could teach you.” Inuoka shrugged. “The ice element isn’t a hard one to master, I started focusing more on alchemy and runes once I was thirteen summers old because of it.”

Hinata pouted, flicking through the tattered journals that Inuoka had kept throughout his training to be a court mage. It was true that he appeared to have learnt everything he could from the simple notes and the practice he had done.

“And you’ve got a good grasp on drawing conjuring circles now,” Inuoka continued “so in theory you could start drawing portals easily enough and continue on from there.”

“But there’s just…an itch.” Hinata murmured, closing the journal and sighing. “There’s more, there’s got to be more!”

Inuoka gave him a sympathetic smile. “Shoyo, by all accounts, you’ve learnt everything I can teach you.”

“What about Shirabu?”

The other court mage had left that morning with House Oikawa’s party, Inuoka had toyed with the idea of asking him to stay for a while and explain exactly how he summoned a spirit to talk to him. The idea was quickly concluded to be a bad one so he let it go.

“He’s more like Kenma; alchemist first and mage second.” Inuoka shrugged. “Haven’t seen his elemental powers at work so I don’t know what he could teach you.”

“Necromancy?” Hinata offered, getting a slightly horrified expression from the other. “I mean, he would’ve needed to do some alchemy and rune work, right?”

“Sure…but that’s not a path you should go down.” Inuoka shook his head as he paced the room, the books had been pulled out of their shelves and left in a disarray by the visiting mage. It had been an intense few days, fun by all accounts but still intense. A vast amount of knowledge had been consumed by the young mage, Inuoka wasn’t sure what itch he spoke of scratching but he hoped it wasn’t going to lead to temptation.

“It’s taboo, I know.” Hinata sighed. “But knowing how to do it isn’t the same as doing it?”

Inuoka frowned. “Shoyo, mentalities like that are what led to the non-mage folk being wary of our kind. To some of them, the fact we know how to conjure elements and have the ability to read minds terrifies them. It’s caused bloodshed in the past as much as it’s saved lives.” He folded his arms across his chest. “There’s a reason mages aren’t allowed on the battlefield.”

“They’re not?” Hinata asked.

“No. It’s forbidden.” Inuoka snorted. “Of course, some kings of the past have ignored that and faced consequences for it.”

“Why is it forbidden? Surely they’d be good at fighting like Nishinoya is.”

“And what of mages like Akaashi?” Inuoka raised an eyebrow. “With the simple act of meeting his gaze he can read their thoughts. Or mages like Tsukishima? He can plant horrific nightmares and torture soldiers where they stand without lifting a blade.”

Hinata stood up from where he was sat. “But surely, all is fair when it comes to war? Two nations attack one another to prove their strength, if one happens to be strong in magic, why shouldn’t mages be allowed to defend their lands?”

There was a small smile from Inuoka. “You’d think that would be a consideration, but no.” The smile vanished. “They made it clear that no mage can step foot on a battlefield and any kingdom that allows it is in breach of the treaty.”

“What treaty?”

“The treaty that’s keeping the Empire from marching their army down here.” Inuoka paced over to his bookshelves and searched for a particular thin leather-bound journal. “The Treaty of the Eagle, it was brought in by the emperor a few decades ago, long before House Oikawa was on the throne.” He flipped through the pages. “There were a lot of bloody battles in the realm, mainly with the northern territories and the kingdom that existed to the north of us before the empire uh…acquired them.”

Hinata was certainly not opposing the abrupt history lesson. When he thought back to his humble beginnings in a tiny village, he couldn’t imagine how big the rest of the realm was.

“What does the treaty say though?”

Inuoka scanned the pages. “In simple talk; ‘because the use of magic is undocumented, often untraceable and unreliable, the grand council cannot see positive reasoning for allowing mages to engage on the battlefield. Friendly fire aside, the threat to their own forces - which includes but is not limited to; backfiring spells, misjudged conjurations and unhinging mages - far outweighs their usefulness.’ Basically, the grand council agreed that mages are far too unpredictable to be allowed anywhere near a battlefield.”

Hinata pouted slightly. “So that’s it? The treaty still stands?”

“Yeah, even when the empire took over the other kingdom, they were insistent that the treaty was not only upheld but reaffirmed by the kings at the time.”

“So what happens if mages are on the battlefield?”

Inuoka closed the journal. “Well, the mage - or mages - in question are captured and charged with war crimes. Then the kingdom they were fighting on behalf of is told to report to the grand council and explain why they saw fit to abandon the treaty and all sorts of things could happen.” He shrugged. “No-one’s broken the treaty yet so I can’t really answer for sure.”

There were a lot more questions about this treaty that Hinata had, mainly the grand council’s purpose and identity. He also wanted to know more about the battle of the past that had mages involved to get to this point. Questions would have to wait however as Yamaguchi appeared at the doorway with a serious expression.

“Hinata, you’re needed in the king’s chamber. It’s important.”

There were no additional hints as Yamaguchi beckoned him to hurry up. Hinata nodded in farewell to Inuoka before following the steward to Tobio’s chambers. He entered to find Daichi, Suga and Kiyoko looking equally serious which sent an uncomfortable feeling in him. Tobio and Asahi were also present but neither of them said anything as Daichi looked up and noted Hinata’s arrival.

“Ah, Hinata.” He handed a latter in his hands to Suga. “We have received word from the others.”

Hinata wasn’t sure what was going on, he didn’t even know they had sent a letter back home in the first place. “And?”

“There’s been an attack.” Daichi continued. “Everyone is fine, more or less, according to Yaku. But we need to return quickly,” he gestured to Suga and Kiyoko before meeting Hinata’s gaze again “but I want you to stay here.”

“Me?” Hinata glanced to Tobio who was poker-faced as usual. “Why me?”

Kiyoko stepped forward, there was a kindness in her eyes but no such emotion crossed her face. “Because we don’t think it’s safe.” She delicately replied. “It was the Blue Serpents who attacked, and they’ve made it clear that they know where the guild is based and they will be back.”

Hinata wasn’t sure what this had to do with him staying in Tobio’s kingdom. “Then why are you all returning?”

“We need to bolster the guild’s defences.” She stated. “Kindaichi was injured and the others are understandably shaken.”

“So why am I the only one staying here?”

“Because of your powers.” Daichi replied. “We don’t know what the Serpents will do next to try and gain a footing, we can’t be sure they don’t know how gifted you are and if they _do_ know, you’re a target for kidnapping or worst.”

Hinata swallowed. This whole aura mage thing had really turned his life upside down. “So I’m supposed to hide here, is that it?” He uttered, stepping back slightly. “I’m supposed to leave you all and hide in a fortress whilst they attack you again? If I’m not there, who are they gonna target instead?”

Tobio cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself. “If I may,” he glanced to Daichi who nodded “Shoyo, they’re not simply going back to be sitting ducks.” He adjusted the way his shirt clung to his body. “I have offered them one of the disused forts along the border of my kingdom. They are going back to protect the rest of the Brotherhood yes, but they’re also going back to move the guild. To a new, safer location.”

“Move?” Hinata repeated. “You’re just gonna move?”

Daichi nodded. “As much as it pains me so, yes. Moniwa had a similar idea so it won’t come as a shock.” He smiled weakly. “Besides, it’s getting a little on the small side don’t you think?”

Hinata had to agree, it was a little too cosy some nights. However, moving to a fort was a large task, even for a group like them.

“I’m sending Kyoutani to the fort in question sometime next week to clear it of any animal nests and sure up the structures.” Tobio stated. “If you want to be of use, you can always join him.”

“So soon?” Hinata asked, the idea sounded ludicrous.

“The sooner your Brotherhood moves, the better it’ll be for them.”

As much as Hinata wanted to protest, he could see his fate had already been discussed and decided before he even walked into the room. He reluctantly accepted the situation and nodded.

“Alright,” he murmured “how long will it take to move everyone?”

Daichi exchanged glances with Kiyoko and Suga. “Could be as little as two weeks once we get back, or it could take until the end of the cold season.”

Hinata swallowed. The cold season was a long season and they had only just reached the halfway point. He wasn’t sure how he’d cope being away from the likes of Kenma for so long. He wasn’t sure how to deal with the sinking feeling in his stomach, he wanted to cry at feeling so hopeless.

“We’ll work as quickly as we can.” Kiyoko told him, gently patting his head. “And we’ll keep in contact using Tobio’s hawk.”

Hinata nodded again, averting his gaze and staring at the wooden floor. He willed himself not to burst into tears as the three of them left to hurry their preparations for leaving along. Asahi saw it fit to excuse himself and return to his post, leaving only Tobio to console him.

The gentle hands taking Hinata by the shoulders surprised him, but he didn’t resist. Tobio slowly pulled him into a hug, he smelt of the sweet incense that was burned around the castle. It wasn’t the same as getting hugged by Kenma, but Hinata appreciated the gesture from the otherwise stoic king. He leaned into the embrace, not saying a word as Tobio squeezed him.

“I understand it’s hard,” Tobio murmured “but it was the only option we saw fit.”

Hinata nodded. “I guess.”

Slowly, Tobio pulled back, he gave Hinata the once over before stepping away. “If you’d like, you can move into Inuoka’s quarters though there’s not much space and he does tend to wake absurdly early.”

With a weak laugh, Hinata smiled. “Is there nowhere else?”

Tobio paused for thought. “Well there’s Tadashi’s quarters, but again he rises early and there’s not much space. Asahi sleeps in with the rest of the castle guards and you definitely don’t want to try and convince Kyoutani to share his room.”

“What about…here?” Hinata asked, temporarily forgetting that Tobio was in fact a _king_  and he should only share his quarters with one of equal standing.

The question seemed to catch Tobio off guard too, he glanced around the room momentarily in thought. “Well, as long as you don’t set anything on fire and don’t hinder my duties I don’t see why not. Tadashi might have a few things to say about how ‘improper’ it is but…” Tobio made a gesture to the air as he wrinkled his nose “this isn’t House Oikawa, I don’t have to answer to a court of snobbish nobles about who stays in my chambers.”

The remark made Hinata giggle. The idea of staying in Hokubujōsai didn’t seem so daunting now he knew he wouldn’t be alone every night.

“So, what were you talking to Inuoka about before you were summoned?” Tobio raised an eyebrow. The question caught Hinata off guard, but he told the other about the conversation surrounding mages on the battlefield and the treaty that prevented them from being involved in wars. Tobio hummed in thought as Hinata finished recounting the conversation.

“Ah the grand council.” He sighed. “Noble intentions, piss poor execution.”

“You knew them?”

Tobio shook his head. “No, but their purpose was to keep peace in the realm. They had the three southern kingdoms in an alliance, one to try and fend off the expanding empire and keep the northern territories in check.” He shrugged. “You can see how successful that was; one kingdom got swallowed up and now the northern territories are snapping at our heels.”

“Who were they?” Hinata watched as Tobio chuckled.

“You ask a lot of questions.” He remarked. “There will be time to answer them, but I do have things I need to do around my kingdom.”

“Ah,” Hinata nodded, feeling bad for keeping the king from his people “of course! I’ll just…uh…wait here.”

Tobio gave him a puzzled glance. “Or you could accompany me? No sense in you sitting here all afternoon. Besides, you might be useful.”

Hinata wasn’t sure how he felt about being referred to as ‘useful’, but he quickly nodded and followed Tobio out of the room. He accompanied the king all afternoon as he attended to the various matters that took them around the castle and into the city below. As soon as they left the castle, Asahi was shadowing Tobio’s every step. He expected the people to give Tobio a wide berth, that the presence of the king and his royal guard would be enough to part crowds. Instead, Hinata found that the townsfolk approached Tobio to talk to him about whatever was bugging them that day. They engaged him in polite conversation when he asked how the trading was, what they needed most from him, and any other comments they had.

They had just finished a lengthy conversation with a baker when Tobio caught Hinata’s eye. He gently held up a hand to the small crowd of people who had been gathering to potentially talk to him. The king simply beckoned Hinata to follow him through the city streets, nodding in greeting to those who called out to him but ultimately remaining silent.

They began walking through the back streets, Asahi following them at a distance. Hinata wasn’t sure where Tobio was taking him but figured he’d not get an answer if he asked. The buildings around them abruptly ended, the winter sunlight flooding in along with the harsh wind. Hinata looked out over the sparse grassland that carried on for a short while before dropping off. Tobio approached the edge of the cliff, the lake below shimmered as the waterfall roared in the distance. Looking out across the lake, the mountains framed the view of the falls on the other side of the crater. Pine trees gave colour to the view as their needles rustled in the wind and the smell of pine wafted around the city.

“Why are we here?” Hinata asked as he stepped up beside Tobio. “You can see the same view from the castle?”

Tobio nodded. “You can, but sometimes I like to get away from the castle and appreciate the view for what it is.”

“Huh…” Hinata cast his gaze out again. “How did the lake form? Like, it’s a crater…what happened?”

There was a small hum of thought from Tobio. “I don’t know. There might’ve been a tremor caused by the volcano that caused the land to split…” he shrugged. “It’s been here since before my birth, I’ve grown up with this view.”

Hinata had to admit it was a nice view to grow up with, he thought back to his own home and the fields that surrounded it. There were mountains in the distance but nothing as majestic as the view before him. He bit on his lip as he thought of his family, his little sister who he hadn’t seen in over a year.

“You seem troubled.” Tobio’s voice brought him back to the present.

“Just thinking about home.” Hinata willed himself to smile. “My family are probably wondering what I’ve been up to this past year.”

“Ah, you have family alive.” Tobio nodded. “Why’d you leave them?”

There was a heavy sigh from Hinata. “My powers were becoming too unruly for our village elder to teach me. What had started out as a super cool gift and saved us all was turning into a bother.”

“Saved you?” Tobio raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

The sunlight was weakening as the afternoon wore on, the chill in the air becoming more obvious. Hinata brought his hands up to cover the sun and splayed his fingers. If he closed one eye it would almost seem like the light was emanating from his hand.

“Our village was in the middle of a storm, blizzards kept everyone inside all day every day. Food and firewood were running out and no-one knew how long it would go on for.” He said. “My sister Natsu was scared we’d die like some of the older villagers did.”

Tobio remained quiet as Hinata lowered his hand, the small wisps of flames coming to life at his fingertips.

“I just wanted us to be safe, I didn’t want to die.” Hinata murmured. “And next thing I know there’s fire in my hands.”

“Just like that?” Tobio asked.

“Yeah,” Hinata let out a weak laugh “I didn’t know I had magic in my blood. No-one else in my family has been a mage…it surprised us all but it was a welcome one at the time.”

“Except it got too much?”

“My village elder wasn’t sure why it happened, obviously we all kind of know that I’m not a normal elemental mage now.” He laughed again. “They heard about Nishinoya being a really powerful mage and sent me to find him and well now I’m in with the Brotherhood…” he trailed off “I haven’t looked back until now.”

“I’m sure they understand.” Tobio smiled. “But if you want, you can send them a message with a scout. I’ll be sending some reports to Tooru anyway.”

“Really?”

“Well yeah, if you’re going to be here for the next few weeks, there’s no reason not to.” He shrugged. “And even if you move to the fort, I’ll send the scout on to you.”

Hinata’s feeling of hopelessness was quickly fading as he smiled back at Tobio, he didn’t miss a beat as he hugged the other. Tobio let out a small chuckle before returning the hug. They lingered for a while, the setting sun casting a bright glow across the sky.

“We should get going.” Tobio murmured, pulling back. “People might start talking if they see us.”

“What do you mean?” Hinata asked, tilting his head as Tobio immediately started walking back towards the buildings, he hurried to catch up to him.

“I mean they’ll start saying we’re like Tooru and Hajime.” Tobio snorted. “And that’s a headache I don’t need.”

Hinata pouted slightly, he found it doubtful that people would take _one_  moment and blow it out of proportion like that. Tooru and Iwaizumi had years of friendship behind them and were very public about their love for one another, Hinata had barely been in the city a week.

“Alright.” Hinata sighed, shrugging as they met Asahi at the main road. As they slowly made their way back towards the castle, he found himself paying attention to the onlookers rather than the people who’d stop Tobio for a chat. There were certain looks of amusement from some people and he was pretty sure there was a lot of whispering occurring. He tried to shake it off as Tobio nudged him and drew his attention back to the king himself.

“I asked you a question.”

“Oh, uh I was…daydreaming.” Hinata murmured, trying not to give the onlookers any further things to comment on. “What was the question?”

Tobio raised an eyebrow but shook his head. “I asked if you were intending to write that letter tonight or tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Hinata offered. “I…I don’t know what I’d write tonight.”

There was a slight nod. “Very well,” Tobio turned back to the trader he was talking to originally “then I’ll send off the request to Tooru in the morning.”

Hinata tried to shake off the feeling of being watched as they continued their way to the castle. Thankfully fewer people wanted to stop Tobio so they made it back before dusk. With a heavy sigh of relief, Hinata flopped down at the low table in the king’s chamber. Tobio snorted as he removed his outer jacket, hanging the fur-lined leather on a wall hook.

“You were distracted.” Tobio remarked.

“Not really.” Hinata pouted.

“You’ll get used to people staring.” Tobio gingerly knelt down across the table from Hinata. “Especially if you accompany me everywhere.”

Hinata regarded him with a calm expression, the remark about people seeing them in the same way as they saw Tooru and Iwaizumi was running through his mind.

“How does Iwaizumi balance serving Tooru and loving him?” Hinata asked quietly, not expecting Tobio to deign him with an answer as the piping hot tea was poured by Yamaguchi.

“He took an oath as the king’s royal guard to protect him at all costs, even if it means laying down his own life.” Tobio held the warm cup in his hands. “Some would say it’s a romantic gesture, others would say he simply put himself as close to Tooru as he could be.”

“What do you think?”

Calm blue eyes slipped shut as Tobio drank. “I think,” he murmured, his eyes still closed “that Hajime is a smart man. He knows he could never be by Tooru’s side without being a guard or an adviser.” He slowly opened his eyes. “Tooru will need a queen one day, just as I will, but for now Hajime can rest easy knowing he has Tooru’s undivided attention in that respect.”

“Do you really need a queen?”

“For an heir, yes.” Tobio bluntly replied. “It’s a simple fact that the bloodline of the House cannot continue without a child being born.”

Hinata wrinkled his nose. “Having a child for the sake of the bloodline…what about love?”

Tobio set his cup down. “I’m beginning to think the griffins were right when they said you have a pure heart.” He mused. “As much as Tooru and I would prefer to marry anyone for love, the simple matter of fact is that it’s our duty as figureheads of our Houses to ensure the line of succession is secure. Just as my parents did in the attack and just as his parents did.”

“So even if Tooru doesn’t want a queen, he has to have one for his House to continue?”

“He has a nephew I’m pretty sure, so it’s not completely down to him.” Tobio shrugged. “But things would be easier on everyone if he sired a child himself.”

Hinata nodded slowly, he was starting to understand just how much pressure was on both kings. Even once this fight with the northern territories was dealt with, there would be another headache to come.

 


	57. Kēpu yōsai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me upon realising that Monday is December 31st and there are more than 2 chapters left: feck.
> 
> Hope y'all are gonna be ready for manic monday ; aka 3 (or more) chapters in one day.

  
**LVI**

**Kēpu yōsai**

 

Hinata remained at the castle for next week. He spent most of his days split between practising his magic with Inuoka and accompanying Tobio around the city. Slowly he had been getting used to the castle life, he was by no means entirely comfortable being waited on by servants not much younger than him but he didn’t mind being referred to as ‘sir’ by the guards as he passed. The snowstorms began to set in, keeping the sunlight at bay and trips outside the castle walls to a minimum. Against the odds, Tobio’s hawk returned with a letter from the guild; Daichi and the others had made it back and were quickly making preparations to leave. It eased Hinata’s worries a little, but he didn’t hide the fact he was anxious to see them again.

Tobio seemed to understand, he barely demanded anything of Hinata during his stay. Some days they barely saw one another until supper. As the quiet of the night drew in, Hinata found himself alone with Tobio and it was in those moments that the line between king and commoner were blurred. They talked of their childhoods, of fond memories, of great adventures they had both been on and wanted to go on. The crackling brazier illuminated their faces in the otherwise gloomy chamber, the silver crown left on the low table and both of them bundled up in blankets to keep the chill away.

“And so that’s how my first public duelling session went.” Tobio shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal now that I think about it.”

Hinata’s eyes were wide. “You took down a lieutenant of the city guards and it ‘wasn’t a big deal’.”

“Not really.”

“You were ten!” Hinata exclaimed. “Like, even people like Daichi would struggle to take down a lieutenant.”

Tobio chuckled. “Maybe it’s the royal blood in me.” He shrugged again. “What about you? You’ve sparred before right?”

“A little.” Hinata’s demeanour shifted. “I used to just send fire whenever I was threatened but Nishinoya and Akaashi taught me how to wield weapons.”

“Regular weapons or…”

“Elemental ones.” Hinata smugly smiled. “I have used a regular sword but daggers of fire are much cooler.”

“You mean they’re more deadly.” Tobio snorted. “Set someone on fire as well as slashing their chest open…”

“I’ve…not actually been in a fight like that.” Hinata murmured. “There was one time that we raided a base of sorts just after I joined…but since then I’ve not been in a ‘fight’.”

Tobio raised an eyebrow. “Huh, well neither have I if it’s any consolation. Not a real fight to the death.”

“Are you scared?”

“Scared?” Tobio repeated, his eyes reflecting the flickering flames. “Scared of what?”

Hinata swallowed. “Scared of fighting someone to the death. You’re a king, if you go to war then you’re going to be in a fight to the death, aren’t you scared?”

Tobio hummed. “I have escaped death once already,” he kept his face neutral “there will come a time where I stare death in the face again. To be scared is to know your time is limited and that you should make every moment count.”

Hinata found himself nodding. “So being scared of dying is natural.”

“Of course it is.” Tobio nodded in return. “We cannot cheat death, even if it seems like our time has come too quickly. It may feel unjust, it will leave deep wounds in those we care about, but ultimately when the spirits of our ancestors call us home - we must go. All that will be left after we go is the consequences of our actions, our legacies…” He trailed off for a moment. “My parents left me as their legacy, and my actions will ultimately shape my own.” He met Hinata’s gaze. “What would your legacy be Shoyo?”

Hinata looked to the brazier, the flames danced as the wood crackled and split. “I don’t…know.”

“You don’t know?” Tobio coyly smiled. “Nothing to do with standing up to the king of House Kageyama and calling him out on his bullshit?”

“Ack! I-I wouldn’t put it that way—” Hinata fell backwards on the bed as Tobio laughed. Once both of them had recomposed themselves, he felt the heaviness of the conversation lift a little. “I mean, maybe my legacy will be helping restore order?”

“What about ushering in a dynasty of peace?” Tobio offered. “Sounds fancier when you put it like that.”

Hinata smiled. “Yeah, a dynasty of peace.” He repeated wistfully. “Do you really think we’ll have peace?”

“I’m certain of it,” Tobio stifled a yawn “but there are hard times ahead before that peace is allowed to settle.”

There was a pause as the statement hung in the air. Hinata mulled over the talk of death as Tobio seemed ready to fall asleep there and then. He wanted to go and see the griffin before he left for the fort with Kyoutani if the snowstorms allowed it, he didn’t want any surprise visions once he left, though Hēishān had been quiet as of late so he sensed there was no immediate danger.

“You have a busy day tomorrow.” Tobio remarked. “We should rest now.”

Hinata nodded. The first night he had spent in Tobio’s chambers had been odd to say the least but as the chill of the cold season hung around the castle, he had come to be thankful that the other was more than willing to share the bed with him. They hadn’t strictly told anyone about this arrangement and no-one seemed to have figured it out as one or both of them was always awake and out of bed by the time Yamaguchi came knocking.

“What should I expect at this fort?” Hinata asked as they settled under the blankets.

Tobio shrugged. “It’s one in good condition from what my lieutenant tells me. Might have a few roof leaks and rats around but it’s not falling apart.”

“What’s it’s name again?”

“Kēpu yōsai.” Tobio sighed. “It was simply there to monitor the southern coast, my grandfather had the headland stabilised when a bad storm took half of it out in one night. It’s sturdy enough now and I’m sure your Brotherhood can fix it if it crumbles again.”

“Huh, well uh…thanks for giving it to us?”

There was a light chuckle. “It benefits me y’know, having an assassins guild in my lands means there are more eyes to look out for threats.”

Hinata had to admit he didn’t consider that Tobio would have ulterior motives for helping them. Silence fell between them as exhaustion crept up on them. The morning would bring a fresh day of adventure for him; riding south with Kyoutani to prepare the fort for the arrival of the guild. He wasn’t sure what he was meant to do but figured it would be a nice change of pace.

 

* * *

 

 

Two stallions stood in the courtyard of the castle, manes braided to keep the long black hair from getting caught in the trees and bushes they’d be riding through. Hinata wasn’t sure what to make of the idea of riding such an imposing creature across the kingdom. Kyoutani seemed at ease as he made sure the saddles were adjusted properly in the brisk breeze that whipped around them. The early dawn’s light was peeking through the grey clouds above them, the promise of fresh snow weighed on their minds as the clouds rolled across the sky.

“How long will it take to ride there?” He asked Kyoutani as he was give an boost up into the saddle.

Kyoutani shrugged. “About half a day?” He grunted.

No another words were uttered as Kyoutani mounted his horse and spurred it to a trot. Hinata clumsily urged his horse to follow, not quite feeling natural on horseback as they manoeuvred through the sleepy city streets. Once they were in the mountain pass, Kyoutani quickened the pace much to Hinata’s delight. He was thankful that the horses seemed used to following one another as he didn’t feel in control of the war horse whatsoever.

The grasslands beyond the mountain opened up, the silver dusting atop the flora was disturbed by the thundering hooves. His cheeks stung as the cold wind whirled around them, his fingers were numb as he clutched the reins and tried not to fall out of the saddle. They passed the ruins of the razed villages, he didn’t have time to properly look but he could tell there was life being breathed into them once more; the new banners of House Kageyama were flying proudly from the towers and there was rising smoke from the smaller more homely buildings.

He was jarred from his gazing by Kyoutani making a sharp turn to follow a trail into the forest. The large trees blocked out what little daylight there was but the horses continued under Kyoutani’s guide, albeit at a slower pace. As they rode, Hinata almost couldn’t believe they were in the same forest that the guild had travelled through. It felt less daunting, even with the sheer size of the trees overhead.

“You’ll come to recognise the forest.” Kyoutani glanced back at Hinata. “There’ll be a trail marked out by the time your Brotherhood arrive, but I expect you won’t need it.”

Hinata nodded as the horses slowed to a trot, the trees began to thin as they approached the edge of the forest.The sound of the sea slowly crept up on them, the smell of the salt in the air was strong as daylight flooded Hinata’s senses. As the ground sloped upwards, his attention was firmly on the stone structure in front of him. It was imposing, two large buildings towered over the protective walls, he could just about see the roofs of some smaller buildings clustered together peeking out from over the walls. Kyoutani led him round the fort, following the outer wall. As they rounded the corner, Hinata caught his first look at the cove that gave the fort it’s namesake. Waves crashed against the cliffs below, the spray hitting his cheeks even this high up.

“The gate’s open, huh.” Kyoutani hummed, dismounting his horse and stepping forth to inspect further. Hinata followed his gaze but remained in the saddle, the iron gate was half-raised; enough to slip under but not enough to be inviting.

“Is that bad?” Hinata asked as Kyoutani drew his sword.

“Not necessarily,” Kyoutani replied as he glanced up at the ropes keeping the gate from crashing down “but if these ropes are in bad condition, that could be a bad thing.”

Hinata chose to dismount his horse and follow Kyoutani under the gate. Once within the outer walls of the fort, the sound of the ocean faded a little, the wind whipped around the enclosed space but there was a definite quiet to everything.

“Tobio’s given us all of this?” Hinata asked, turning around in a circle as he took in the different buildings. Connecting the two tower-like buildings was another smaller building, a similar one flanked the other side of the main tower. Several out-buildings were clustered together next to what Hinata imaged was the stables. The walls enclosed them all, offering a protective embrace.

“Yeah.” Kyoutani moved to the mechanism that controlled the gate. Slowly, he got the gate to open enough to allow the horses to pass under before letting it crash down, sealing them inside. Hinata swallowed as the quiet returned, he waited for Kyoutani to start moving towards the main tower before following.

Two large oak doors were thrown open by the dragon tamer, he wrinkled his nose as the dust flew in the air. Immediately inside the room two stairs cases began and winded up to the floor above in a L-shape. Hinata stepped forward to the open space beyond them, there was a large hearth in the centre of the back wall, a few old benches lay on their sides but apart from them, the room was empty in the gloomy light.

“The common room.” Kyoutani stated. “The door to your left leads to the kitchens,” he gestured to the ajar wooden door. “And to your right leads to the armoury.” He gestured to the closed wooden door on Hinata’s right. “Through the armoury is—”

“How do you know about this fort?”Hinata interrupted

Kyoutani snorted. “Tobio let me look at the floor plans, they’re in the saddle bag of my horse.”

There was a slight nod. “I’d like to just…explore it.” He spoke softly.

Kyoutani seemed sceptical. “Alright, well you do that.” He put his hands on his hips. “I’ll get a fire going I guess.”

With the rest of the buildings to explore, Hinata wasted no time. He first went into the kitchens through the ajar door, summoning a ball of light so he could see better. Another large hearth was the main feature of the room, sturdy tables took up most of the floor space in the centre of the room. Iron racks hung from the ceiling on chains, the hooks looking macabre in the dim glow of his light. Two smaller rooms were filled with shelves and empty crates, he figured they would be used to store food and cooking equipment. The windows looking out into the courtyard of the fort let in what little daylight there was, the glass panes cracked in some places and covered in cobwebs.

Moving on from the kitchen, he chose to venture into the armoury, passing Kyoutani loading the hearth with firewood. It was darker in the armoury, the windows were boarded up and shattered glass lay scattered on the floor. Straw-packed targets were leaning against the wall, arrowheads still buried in them. Weapon racks lay empty for the most part, the odd dagger or sword remained; left behind by the fort’s old owners. Cobwebs clung to the brazier suspended from the ceiling, the embers long gone out. Another door lay beyond but when he tried to open it he found it stuck.

He made his way back to the main tower, the wooden steps leading up to the next floor beckoned his curious mind. He picked the left side first, finding a doorway to his left and another set of steps leading up. Through the door, he found several small rooms, most of them would comfortably fit two beds in, maybe three. With nothing more of interest in the area, he continued up the steps to the top floor. Doors led into two larger rooms than the ones below, he could already tell this was the fort commander’s quarters and they’d most likely serve Daichi and Kuroo respectively. Through a window at the end of the hallway, he could see down into the courtyard, directly opposite the main gate.

He returned to the stairs, taking the right hand set down to the level below. Venturing into the wing above the armoury, he found more smaller rooms, but this time there was an open void to look down into the armoury below. Instead of a door at the end of the hallway he found a narrow staircase leading down to where the stuck door would lead. A sturdier oak door was a struggle to open, but once it swung open on creaking hinges he was met with an icy chill.

The second tower opened up to him, craning his neck, he could see right up to the roof through a square void. Stone steps clung to the wall leading up to the floors above in a spiralling manner. On the bottom floor another hearth took pride and place. Bookcases were bare, tables were overturned, glass vials shattered and there were several feathers dropped by birds that probably roosted in the rafters.

“…a mage tower.” Hinata breathed as he stood in the centre of the tower. The runestones on his chain warmed as he turned slowly, taking in the silent calm that filled the air despite the evidence of chaos. He let his light fade, stretching out his hands and simply feeling the air. It wasn’t charged with energy as if a mage had been around, but there was a surreal feeling nonetheless. He waited for some kind of prompt, a voice in the echoes of his mind.

Flames flickered into life at his fingertips, except they weren’t the usual yellow glow. Bright blue light made him swallow as they danced in the icy breeze. He hadn’t known his flames to change colour before. He focused on shaping them into a blade, watching as blue turned to purple. Despite his focus, the flames didn’t yield to his command, they remained flickering in their natural shape.

He was startled from his thoughts as a loud bang echoed around the tower. The flames vanished as he wheeled around to see Kyoutani stood there.

“Dude, I know you’re not used to living in a fort, but a word of advice; don’t leave the fucking doors open everywhere.” He sighed. “It lets the heat out.”

Hinata nodded quickly, not wanting to let Kyoutani in on the slightly odd behaviour of his magic.

“And I got that door unstuck.” Kyoutani continued without waiting for a response. “But I’d say for the sake of keeping things simple, we just crash in the common room.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Kyoutani raised an eyebrow. “Also I started on food, so if you’re done exploring we can eat.”

The need for food hadn’t bothered Hinata until it was mentioned. His stomach growled in complaint making Kyoutani chuckle slightly. They returned to the common room, shutting the doors as they went. The fire was welcoming as Hinata sat on the stone floor next to it. Whilst he had been gone, Kyoutani had unloaded the supplies from the horses and set up a makeshift camp in the previously empty room. The crackling of roasting meat and the aroma that filled the air almost made Hinata forget about his magic behaving strangely.

They ate in silence, the weather outside making the fort creak and groan in protest. Strong stone walls gave Hinata comfort that they’d be safe from whatever the elements threw at them. Only when they finished eating, did Kyoutani break the silence.

“So tomorrow I’m going to look at the gate mechanism.” He stated. “What are you going to do?”

“Uh…” Hinata wasn’t sure what he was meant to do. He was used to following orders from Daichi and Suga, not thinking for himself. “I guess I’ll…uh…”

“You could start clearing the cobwebs away from the common quarters, or the armoury, or you can try tackling that other tower?”

“Yeah, I uh…” Hinata fidgeted where he sat. “I guess I’ll start cleaning.”

There was a pause, Kyoutani seemed lost in thought for a few moments.

“Can I ask you something?” Hinata asked, drawing the other’s attention.

“Go for it.”

“If you’re not of House Kageyama, and you’re not from either of the kingdoms…where are you from?”

There was a small smile from Kyoutani before he wrinkled his nose. “I am from nowhere.”

“Nowhere?” Hinata tilted his head to the side, “is that a place?”

“No,” Kyoutani snorted “I mean I don’t consider anywhere to be my origin place.”

“How come?”

“I just don’t.” He shrugged. “I’ve wondered the wilds between us and the northern territories for most of my youth. I’ve had no fixed place to call home.”

“But what about your family?”

Kyoutani stiffened for a moment before yawning. Hinata wasn’t sure how genuine the yawn was. “What about them?”

“Don’t you have one?” Hinata asked before remembering that such topics were sometimes painful for some people to discuss.

“Yeah,” Kyoutani didn’t seem bothered by it all “but like me they have no fixed home.”

“Are they travelling merchants or something?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?” Kyoutani retorted. “And why do you want to know so much?”

Hinata swallowed. “Well I…I know that you’re a friend of Tobio’s and I just wondered what keeps you in his castle.”

There was another pause as Kyoutani’s laid back nature seemed to falter slightly. “He doesn’t ask any questions about loyalty. I did a favour for him, and he’s letting me stay in return. I don’t need to tell him anything about my life beforehand and all I ask is that he doesn’t drag me into his inter-realm politics.” His gaze moved to watch the fire. “He’s honoured that request so far.”

Hinata got the idea that Kyoutani wasn’t going to like being asked even more questions. With nothing to follow on from that conversation with, they settled in the silence once more. The wind pressed against the doors as the fire crackled and hissed. It was going to be a long few days until the guild arrived.

 

 


	58. Taking Threats Seriously

**LVII**

**Taking Threats Seriously**

 

“What do you mean, ‘we’re moving’?” Kuroo scoffed. Daichi rolled his eyes and tried to refrain from verbally slapping some sense into the other.

“Gee, I wonder why,” Daichi uttered under his breath before raising his voice back to normal volume. “How about the fact that not only were we attacked, but you chose to let them live and threw down the challenge gauntlet for them to come back?”

The guild had assembled in the main room to listen to Daichi’s read on the situation. Once the full extent of the attack had been revealed, he had abruptly declared they were moving the entire guild to the fort Tobio had given to them. Most of them had understood why and didn’t argue, a few however we a little more vocal.

A few, being mainly Kuroo.

“Well I thought you’d appreciate me not adding ‘dealing with a dead body’ to your list of things to do when you returned.” Kuroo retorted.

“That’s not the point.” Daichi sighed. “Tetsurou, you have to admit that this isn’t a situation you can just waltz out of through force alone.”

“He’s right.” Yaku added, he had been in two minds about moving; they knew the land around their current abode, they knew the escape routes and the threats of the wildlife here. They had contacts nearby to help them acquire resources and hide their tracks. Moving would mean they had to start all over again, but it would also ensure they could escape danger for now. “Semi made it crystal clear that this wasn’t going to be a one-off.”

“And who’s to say they won’t strike whilst we’re moving?” Kuroo argued back. “They’re not stupid.”

“But we’re sitting ducks here.” Yaku countered. “They know where we are, they know how to get in, they know that we’ll be vigilant but if they’re half as arrogant as they paint themselves as they’ll be back anyway.”

Kuroo scowled, shaking his head. A heavy silence fell before Bokuto decided to wade into the conversation.

“Backed up against a wall, with shadows creeping forward closer by the day,” he murmured “it would be easy to simply sit and wait for them to meet us…” he trailed off for a moment, glancing at the banner that hung over the firepit. “Or, we could do what we’ve always done and persevere through the shadows.”

“Meet them head on?” Kuroo met his gaze.

“Not quite.” Bokuto dared to smile. “We move the guild, but we’re not doing it to _run away,_ we’re doing it to gain the upper hand.” He stood up from his seat. “A fort is easier to defend, it’s also easier to attack from. The vantage point of a tower alone would mean it’s impossible for them to sneak up on us. We’d strike them down before they reach our front gate.”

Yaku raised an eyebrow. “We have to get to the fort first.”

Bokuto let out a sigh. “It’s manageable, assuming we don’t move all at once.” He looked to Daichi. “My pa and I used to do this with shipments of weapons; you send them in parts so that if they get rushed by bandits, the entire shipment isn’t lost, but it’s also easier to defend two carts as opposed to four.”

Daichi nodded. “Understood.”

“So, I propose we send two carts; the first with the basic necessities to survive at the fort and the second with half of our personal provisions.”

“And until those carts arrive back?” Daichi asked.

Bokuto grinned. “We sell what we don’t need; excess food that’ll spoil, materials and supplies that we have too much of. Once we have word the first two carts have arrived, we send the next two. It’ll take longer than moving everything at once but it’ll be safer and we can adapt to meet whatever crazy shit comes at us.”

There were nods of understanding and agreement. Bokuto grinned proudly as Daichi nodded and immediately started dishing out orders to follow Bokuto’s plan. Kuroo remained where he sat as the rest of the guild rose to meet their duties. Akaashi gently took his hand and squeezed it, prompting him to glance up.

“You don’t want to leave, do you?” Akaashi quietly asked.

“It’s dangerous—”

“No,” Akaashi shook his head “you’re attached to this place, aren’t you?”

With a heavy sigh, Kuroo conceded and nodded. “I helped build this place, to think that we’re going to throw it away because of one attack…”

“It’s for the best, for the safety of everyone.” Akaashi squeezed his hand again. “And there’s nothing to say we can’t keep this place as a safe haven.”

Kuroo snorted. “Yeah well we need to get rid of them first.”

“And we will, in time.” Akaashi squeezed Kuroo’s shoulder. “We’ll get them, we just need to prepare first.”

The rest of the day was spent packing up what was going to be spent on the first two carts to the fort. Daichi had to decide who was to be entrusted with escorting the carts there to meet Kyoutani and Hinata. After an afternoon of preparation, he pulled Bokuto and Yaku aside.

“I want you two to take Kuroo and Akaashi to the fort.” He told them. “And leave them there whilst the rest of the move happens.”

“Leave them both there?” Yaku clarified.

“Yes.” Daichi nodded. “I want Kuroo to take some time away from the thick of things, to give himself a break. If he’s in the fort with Akaashi then they’re both safe and able to prepare it for the rest of the guild to move in.”

“And away from the threat of attack.” Bokuto concluded. “Yeah, good idea.”

“If Semi pops up again, we can take care of it without Kuroo nearly losing it.” Daichi offered them both a weak smile. “Likewise, I want it to be you two who takes them there because Kuroo listens to and respects both of you. Sending someone like Suga may only stoke the flames if Kuroo gets confrontational.”

Yaku and Bokuto could understand the apprehension, Suga and Kuroo did seem to clash a lot on morals.

“Say no more Dai,” Bokuto smiled back. “We got this.”

“Thank you.” Daichi nodded, patting them both on the shoulder before moving on to help load the carts for the following day.

Both Raimei and Yuki were selected as the cart horses for the first run, Kindaichi had to surrender most of the stable duties over to Kunimi as he was still recovering from his wound. It didn’t lessen the speed that the carts were readied and secured to travel. Daichi had successfully convinced Kuroo to travel with them to the fort, citing that the second in command needed to prepare the fort for the rest of them.

As they got on the road early the next morning, the snowstorms let up. The thick blanket of snow made it slow going to get on their way, but once the road opened up to them it was smooth sailing. Not much was said between them as Yaku studied the directions written in the piece of parchment, he had figured out a direct route to the border but all bets were off when they reached the forest.

For most of the journey, Kuroo remained in his own head, tuning out the conversations that kicked up between the other three. He admired the pine trees in the distance as they trudged through the snow, the cold air made him miss the fire but equally brought a sense of refreshment to his tired body. He caught himself smiling a few times at the idea of moving onto new pastures, the sense of adventure that awaited in a new home. He was gutted to be leaving the home he had built, but in retrospect, as long as he had his friends, his family, anywhere they went could be considered home.

They made it to the border in just under two days, Yaku frowned as he tried to decipher the instructions the Daichi had written. They paused at the edge of the forest, there were no identifying marks to guide them. Yaku was on the verge of declaring they just had to figure it out on their own before the sound of hooves prompted them to look up.

“Hinata?” Bokuto called, the striking orange hair standing out in the earthy tones of the forest. The black stallion emerged from the shrubs with little sign of discomfort. Hinata grinned as he waved them over.

“How is it?” Yaku asked as Hinata explained he could show them the way. “The fort.”

“Eh, needs some work?” Hinata replied. “The roof in the tower needs patching, Kyoutani wasn’t really enthusiastic about doing it himself.”

They weaved in and out of the trees, mindful of the carts getting stuck on the roots. Akaashi was making mental notes to mark up the trees so the next party didn’t have to be met in the same fashion. The roar of the ocean waves crashing against cliffs signalled they were close. As the fort came into view they got their first glimpse at their new home.

“It’s larger than I thought.” Yaku hummed as they rounded the corner and entered under the open gate. Hinata dismounted the horse and babbled out a brief rundown of which building was which and what Kyoutani had done to sure up defences. Kuroo tuned out for a few moments, gazing up at the main tower.

“And that’s it really,” Hinata finished “like, I wasn’t sure what Daichi wanted me to do so I was just cleaning out things?”

Akaashi smiled and nodded. “You’ve done well.” He ruffled Hinata’s hair. “Help us unload the carts and we can explain what’s going on in more detail.”

Between the five of them, the carts were unloaded into the main tower. The fire in the hearth was roaring with the replenished wood and Kyoutani had set a stew to boil. Once the horses were put away in the stable building, they sat down and told Hinata about the conversation back at the guild. He listened intently to them, not saying anything until the end.

“So how long will it take?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I’d say two weeks.” Yaku replied. “But Kuroo and Akaashi are staying here now to set up the rooms for everyone.”

Hinata smiled, he hadn’t minded Kyoutani’s company, but having two more people around was only a good thing in his mind. Kyoutani would certainly be happy that he’d quit asking so many questions. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying the warmth of the fire and talking about their new surroundings. Kyoutani briefly explained that the fort had been built to watch over the cove in ages gone by but House Kageyama had abandoned it due to its remote location. A remote location that would be perfect to house the guild.

When the time came to sleep, Hinata was quick to show Bokuto and Yaku the numerous small rooms that would give everyone some much longed for privacy after all sleeping in the same room for the past few years. Kyoutani pointed out to Kuroo that he’d find the fort commander’s quarters more to his taste, something Kuroo was intrigued to take up. Once the others had filtered out, Kuroo and Akaashi ventured up to claim one of the two larger rooms. A double bed was in good condition despite the years of abandonment, but the rest of the room remained bare. The room had a window that looked out over the roof of the armoury and across to the second tower, during the day the ocean could be seen stretching out for miles beyond the outer walls of the fort.

“It’s nice.” Akaashi hummed, taking in the view.

“Yeah,” Kuroo sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. He felt conflicted about the change of scenery; he wanted to be happy at the upgrade in quarters but there was still an ache at the loss of the more sentimental home.

Akaashi turned away from the window, the candles in the wall sconce lighting the room with a warm glow. He regarded Kuroo with a calm gaze, taking in the thoughtful expression as the other glanced around the new quarters.

“You’ll get used to it.” Akaashi stepped closer, taking Kuroo’s hand in his. “It’s a big change for all of us.”

Kuroo nodded. “I’m just…taking a while I guess.”

“It’s been stressful, I know.” Akaashi stepped closer, his shins bumping against the bed. “You need to just let go.”

“Let go?” Kuroo looked up at him. As their eyes met he found several images flash through his mind, the night they had spent in the tavern a long time ago, a calmness swept over him when he remembered the sensation of skin touching skin. “Oh, like _that_.”

Akaashi leaned down and pressed his lips to Kuroo’s, pulling back enough to let out a hum. “This is the first time we’ve had privacy on this level in a long time.”

“I hear you.” Kuroo breathed. “And the walls here are thick.”

Akaashi hummed again. “And it’s not like we’re leaving any time soon.”

Kuroo allowed himself to be pushed back onto the bed, he let out a sigh as the calm aura put him at ease.

 

* * *

 

 

When news reached Tooru that the guild had been attacked and they were moving into Tobio’s lands, he saw it as a direct challenge. He summoned Lady Suzuki to his chambers within moments of reading the letter from Tobio.

“Yes your majesty?” She greeted, curtsying as she did.

“Send one of you scouts north.” He bluntly ordered. “I want them to find out what they can before I decide where to send the Brotherhood.”

“I thought you didn’t want my men involved?” She retorted, getting a slight glare from Iwaizumi for the sass.

“The Brotherhood were attacked, they’re in the process of moving to a safer location.” He deigned to reply. “So send one of your men across the border to get some solid information about where the major settlements are.”

She pouted slightly but nodded. “Of course, I’ll see to it at once.”

Once she was gone Tooru let out a loud, heavy sigh. “The gods are testing me I swear.”

“In other news,” Iwaizumi wanted to change the subject quickly “your mother sent another letter asking me if you’ve picked out a lady to court.”

“Oh not this again.” Tooru grumbled. “I have other, more important things to worry about.”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “Simply passing in your mother’s regards. She also says that your nephew is flourishing.”

“Yeah I bet.” Tooru stood up from his writing desk. “If I wasn’t on the verge of war with another region, then maybe I’d give more of a damn.”

“That’s precisely why she wants you to give a damn now.”

Tooru met Iwaizumi’s gaze. “Are you taking her side now?”

Iwaizumi didn’t reply immediately. “I can’t ignore how dire the situation may become.” He said quietly. “If we go to war, there is a chance you could die.”

“A chance.” Tooru repeated with a shrug. “There’s always a chance at death in my life.” He kept his gaze on Iwaizumi, not a trace of amusement gracing his features. “That’s why you swore an oath to protect me, is it not?”

“I swore an oath yes,” Iwaizumi nodded “but that was more than to be your royal guard.”

“It was because you love me yes—”

“Not entirely.” Iwaizumi cut in. “I swore the oath because I believed that you would be a king who would lead our kingdom to greatness. If that pursuit costs you your life…” he trailed off, averting his gaze. “Then it isn’t worth it.”

Tooru furrowed his eyebrows. “You would rather I surrendered than fight?”

“I would rather you took the threat ahead of you as a serious one and decide if it’s a threat worth meeting head-on.”

“I _am_.” Tooru threw his hand up in disbelief. “What makes you think I’m not?”

Iwaizumi inhaled deeply before he started pacing, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Going to war with an unknown force. We do not know their numbers, we do not know what they want, we do not know if they have allies.” He listed off. “You say you’ll send the Brotherhood north to find all this out but what if they attack before the information gets back to us? What will you do?”

“I’ll meet them on the field.” Tooru stepped forward. “Like I have always said.”

“You mean you will call your countrymen to arms despite not knowing if you have the faintest hope of winning. You will send them to the slaughter.”

“Watch your tongue.” Tooru snapped, getting up in Iwaizumi’s space, the other didn’t flinch.

“I am giving you the cold, hard truth that you asked of me when you were crowned king.” Iwaizumi uttered. “You told me to call you out on bad calls if I see fit, forgive me if you’re regretting that order.”

“So you want me to hide in my palace and wait for destiny to come knocking?”

“I want you to face the fact that war is on your doorstep and we are not prepared for it.” Iwaizumi replied. “Neither of us have seen a battle, a real battle. There are generals in your army that have and the stories I have heard from them do not paint a valiant picture. They paint pictures of misery, torment, nightmares that keep them up at night. They can still hear the screams of the dead, both friend and foe yet they are still ready to take up the sword in your name.”

Tooru swallowed.

“We are not ready to lead them.” Iwaizumi stated. “But we have time to change that. Do not run into this blindly Tooru. If we survive, we will have to carry the consequences of it on our shoulders for the rest of our lives; the men that will die fighting under your banner, the families torn apart, the cost of war is not easy to pay but it is your duty as king to decide if that price is worth paying.”

“And if it’s not?” Tooru uttered. “I can’t just let them invade.”

“Then you will have to think of alternative ways to lessen the threat.” Iwaizumi stepped back. “You have House Kageyama as an ally and the Brotherhood at your beck and call. Use them before you resort to war.”

Tooru didn’t say anything further, dismissing Iwaizumi with a wave. Once alone, he let out a ragged sigh. For the first time since being crowned, he felt the weight of his responsibilities on his shoulders. He couldn’t sit idly by and let the northern territories make a move on them, but Iwaizumi was right; they weren’t ready for a war of that magnitude. And if they weren’t ready, then House Kageyama was certainly not ready either. As much as he wanted to leave the Brotherhood to pick up the pieces of their attack, he needed them to go north as soon as possible.

Their lives depended on it.


	59. Mounting Frustration

**LVIII**

**Mounting Frustration**

  
With the new day dawning, Akaashi saw it fit to investigate the fort for himself. Hinata had given him and Kuroo a brief explanation of which building was which and how the guild could utilise all the extra space, but he wanted to see it for himself. The main building of the fort was well equipped to house the guild’s numbers and several guests on top of that, the armoury would bring Bokuto endless hours of entertainment and there wouldn’t be the issue of having nowhere to sit around the fire anymore.

As he walked into the second tower, Akaashi shivered at the cold blast of air. He pulled his overcoat around him a little tighter as he stepped down into the centre of the room. Gazing up, he saw the void Hinata had talked about and through the small gaps in the roofing he could even see the sky. He got the feeling that this was definitely going to become Kenma’s new abode as he started up the first staircase and found bookshelves lining the wall. Continuing up the stairs to the second floor, he found even more bookshelves, solidifying his assumption. There was certainly enough space here for the vast array of books the guild had acquired. As he scaled the last set of stairs, he found himself at the roof, or rather the covered roof. On four solid stone pillars that rose from lower walls, a thick canvas was suspended over the void, presumably to keep the rain and snow out.

He looked out over the forest to the north, the canopy of trees was impossible to see through but the grasslands beyond stretched out as far as he could see. If he squinted, he could see the faint outlines of the nearest settlement. Being able to see so far out gave him some comfort that they were a little safer here. Walking around the tower, he took in the view of the cove and the ocean that fed it. Miles of deep blue carried on towards the horizon, a few ships were passing by the coast but too far out to see what colours they sailed with.

Over the sound of the waves crashing waves against rocks, the wind rustling in the trees and the distant bird calls, Akaashi could hear the excitable sounds of Hinata watching Kuroo and Kyoutani patch some holes in the roof of the stable block. He watched the scene with a small smile, the more mundane task making their lives seem almost normal for a few moments.

As he journeyed down the stairs within the tower, the calm feeling that had settled within him was irked slightly. Though the walls of the tower were thick, there was a whispering in the breeze like rustling leaves. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but the fort was old and who knew what it had seen in its time. He knew as soon as the others arrived there would no doubt be murmurings of ghosts and other things of that nature from the likes of Kunimi.

He paused in the centre of the tower, the chill in the air not shifting. After a few moments of dwelling there with nothing to show for it, he put the odd feeling down to the unfamiliar surroundings. It would take some getting used to living in such a large fort after the years in the tunnels of the old guild.

As he left the tower, the daylight surprised him and made him wince. The sound of the ocean was the new background noise to their home, even with the forest so close it drowned out most of the birdsong. He walked over to the stable block, empty of any horses as Yaku and Bokuto had left at dawn’s light to return to the guild, to see how the roof repairs were going.

“It’ll be fit for any royal horses now.” Kuroo proudly stated as Kyoutani settled the two stallions from House Kageyama back into their stalls.

“Well let’s hope neither king pays a visit yeah?” Akaashi replied. “The stable may be fit for royalty of the equine kind but the rest of the fort is still in need of care.”

Kuroo shrugged, dusting his hands off and sighing in content. “What do you say Hinata, what’s the next most important thing?”

“Probably the kitchens,” Hinata replied, gazing at the building in thought “Suga will want the windows replaced and everything thoroughly cleaned before he puts any food in there.”

“Let’s get on with it then.”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow as Kuroo immediately set off for the kitchens, grabbing the bucket of tools and cleaning rags as he went. Hinata jogged after him as he disappeared in through the side door of the west wing. Kyoutani chuckled as Akaashi remained rooted to the spot.

“He’s more cheery than I remember him being.”

“Yeah,” Akaashi hummed “I’m not sure what to make of it. With everything that has happened, I’d expect him to be more dreary…but he’s perked up since arriving.”

“You mean since you two fucked some of the stress away last night?”

The faint blush crept over Akaashi’s cheeks. “Uh…yeah.”

“No-one heard you.” Kyoutani added. “It just doesn’t take a genius to work it out — especially given everything that’s happened as of late.”

Akaashi wasn’t sure if he was happy with Kyoutani’s observations or not. He shrugged it off. Considering he had a threat made on his life only a few days ago, Akaashi was taking the entire situation well. Kuroo hadn’t mentioned it since they left but he had a feeling the other was blaming himself again for the actions of others. Akaashi couldn’t exactly say it was unreasonable, but he hoped that moving to a new home would help ease the stress a little. They were safe here, at least for now.

 

* * *

 

 

Over the coming days, the Brotherhood successfully moved their entire guild to their new home known as Kēpu yōsai. As the final carts ladened with most of Kenma’s extensive library pulled into the courtyard, the iron gate was lowered for the final time. The first night all of them were together since the attack was a bittersweet one. The last thing to have been removed from the old guild was the banner of the Brotherhood, and so it seemed only fitting that it be hung up in their new abode on their first night together again.

Settling into the fort was taking longer than anticipated. There were repairs that needed doing regardless of the cold weather but Kyoutani remained to give them a helping hand. Once the roof in the second tower was fixed, Kenma and Moniwa were quick to begin the tedious task of reorganising the entire library’s worth of books. Elsewhere in the fort, Bokuto was settling into his new and improved armoury, he was a little sad about losing the suspended target but quickly bounced back when Akaashi pointed out there wasn’t really anything stopping him suspending one through the void of the floor above.

Suga had more than enough to do between stocking the pantries in the kitchen and trying to maintain order in the overexcited members of the Brothers. He had already sent Nishinoya and Tanaka outside to mark a trail through the forest so they wouldn’t keep charging through the fort and letting all the heat out. Hinata was genuinely trying to be helpful, shadowing Yaku for most of the day and helping with the less skilled labour like setting up all the individual chambers with bedding. The repairs to the fort’s buildings had been left largely to Daichi and Kuroo with Kyoutani’s assistance.

It was on the dawn of their third day in their new home that the hawk arrived. Hinata perked up when he saw it roosting atop the mage tower, the guild’s crows and ravens gave it a wide berth as it perched on the piece of dead wood they set aside for it.

“Tobio?” Kiyoko asked as she shuffled through the letters going out to their various contacts.

“No, my mother.” Hinata replied as he opened the letter and saw his mother’s careful but shaky handwriting. “Tobio let me use his hawk to send a letter to her after he heard I hadn’t spoken since leaving our home.”

“Oh.” Kiyoko smiled, turning her attention back to the guild’s birds for a few moments. As the birds left with the flapping of wings, Hinata was scanning the letter with a wide smile on his face. “Good news I take it?”

“Yeah,” he beamed at her, “my mother says the village was doing better over the harvest season. Oh and the elders are happy I found you guys…” he trailed off. “I haven’t…told them about the whole ‘aura mage’ thing.” His smile faded. “I didn’t want to scare my mother.”

Kiyoko nodded. “Understandable, sometimes it’s better that way. What of your sister?”

Hinata’s smile returned. “She misses me of course, but she’s learning how to swing a sword apparently.” He glanced back at the letter. “She’s challenged me to a sword fight when I visit home.”

“Didn’t you and Tanaka spar with Bokuto’s brothers once?”

“Yeah, but Natsu isn’t as old as them, or the daughter of a blacksmith.”

“Ah.” Kiyoko folded her arms across her chest. “When are you going to visit your family?”

The question wasn’t entirely unexpected, his own mother had asked it in her letter to him. Still, Hinata shrugged. He intended to go home once the cold season had passed, however with the new developments afoot with the Blue Serpents the window of opportunity to travel could close unexpectedly.

“Hopefully soon.” He replied, picking up one of the leather-bound packets that Kiyoko had brought up from the kitchen. He unwrapped the raw meat Suga had prepared for the hawk and began feeding the bird of prey in an effort to continue gaining its trust. “”It depends when Tooru is going to give us those orders…”

Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. “You do know he’s not sending all of us right? Just a few, and given how Daichi wants you safe from the Blue Serpents, I doubt you’ll be sent.”

Hinata’s brows furrowed. “Why does Daichi keep ordering me to stay out of things? Aren’t I part of the guild?”

It seemed Kiyoko realised she misspoke. “Ah, well you are, but—”

“So why can’t I help protect us?”

She gave Hinata an empathetic smile. “Your heart is in the right place Shoyo,” she glanced out to the rolling hills in the distance “but this is far above what the guild is usually—”

“I get _that_.” Hinata pouted. “But if the entire guild is facing the same problem, then why am I being singled out as someone to be kept safe above the others? If anything, I should be using my powers to protect us.”

Kiyoko sighed a little, she didn’t have an answer that would satisfy Hinata. There had been late night conversations about who to send on this task for Tooru, the favourites were currently Yaku and Tanaka with potentially Nishinoya but Kunimi had been vocal about wanting to go, as had Bokuto. None of them had suggested sending Hinata and there were reasons behind that but Kiyoko couldn’t find it in her to tell him.

“Daichi is the one who’ll ultimately decide.” She told him. “If you’re that passionate about going, talk to him.”

He didn’t need any further prompting, he finished feeding the hawk before bounding down the stairs of the tower. He sought out Daichi in the armoury with Bokuto, the two of them were looking over a new sword when Hinata burst in and pointed directly at Daichi.

“Kiyoko told me you’re deciding who’s going north.” He abruptly stated, making Daichi and Bokuto’s eyes widen. “I want to go!”

Daichi handed the sword back to Bokuto and gestured for Hinata to follow him without saying a word. Once they arrived at Daichi’s quarters, the guild leader finally spoke as he shut the door behind them.

“What’s brought this on?”

Hinata glanced around the room for a brief moment, it was very much the same as Daichi’s old quarters with the writing desk littered with letters and maps, the bed of thick furs, the shelves of trophies and rewards for killing and kidnapping alike. The only difference was the increase in space and the windows letting natural light into the room.

“Kiyoko asked when I was visiting my family, I told her it was when we knew what Tooru wanted and she then said that she doubts you’ll send me…well, _my_ question is why am I always told to stay behind and ‘be safe’?” He wind-milled his arms as he explained, making Daichi thankful there was nothing breakable nearby. “Why can’t I be useful like Yaku and Nishinoya? Why am I not allowed to go on jobs like Kunimi? What makes me so different?”

Daichi folded his arms across his chest as he let out a heavy sigh. He knew this would crop up eventually, he had just hoped it could’ve happened after Tooru sent the official instructions, he had an unofficial brief already from Iwaizumi to guide the guild conversations but nothing solid.

“You are useful.” He stated. “But what Tooru is asking of us requires experience in stealth and information gathering. Neither of which you have an abundance of. As far as the guild’s skills, you are very much a rookie still.” He wasn’t putting this lightly, if Hinata was demanding answers, he was going to get them. “You may be an aura mage, you may be gifted with visions of things yet to come, you may even be able to wield weapons as well as Kunimi, but none of that is going to help you fulfil the task Tooru is asking of us.”

“What _is_ Tooru asking of us?” Hinata pouted.

Daichi let out a heavier sigh. “We must go north to scout out the northern territories. We are to gather information on their weapons, their soldiers and any battle plans they have. We are to find out if they are close to marching south and inform Tooru as soon as possible.”

“Right, and I can do that?” Hinata wasn’t seeing how any of this was out of his comfort zone.

“Information must be gathered at any cost Shoyo,” Daichi grimly stated. “Are you prepared to steal documents?”

“Yes.” Hinata nodded.

“Are you prepared to lie about who you are, where you’re from and even about your magic?”

“Yeah.”

Daichi raised an eyebrow. “Are you prepared to kill for that information?”

Hinata didn’t hesitate. “I am. Akaashi has done, so can I.”

“Are you prepared to use your magic to kill for that information?”

“If Akaashi has done, then yeah.” Hinata clenched his hands into fists.

Daichi could see a pattern, he let his arms fall to his sides as he paced over to the desk. He rummaged through some older letters before pulling one out and showing it to Hinata.

“Akaashi has done more than you know.” He stated, holding the letter. “Are you prepared to get caught by our enemy and tortured for information?”

Hinata’s eyes widened. He hadn’t heard of Akaashi being caught and tortured. Daichi seemed to understand his hesitation.

“He’s not been caught yet, but there are murmurings from our allies that he’s got a target on his head thanks to his involvement with Kuroo.” Daichi revealed the yellow seal of the Wolves of the Waves. “What I’m saying is, this isn’t just about gathering information for Tooru. We as a Brotherhood are targets because of our involvement with Kuroo.” He set the letter down. “Shoyo, they will take any and every opportunity to use us to get to him. You are just as much of a target as Akaashi and you have to be prepared to be treated as such.”

“But…I want to help.” Hinata murmured, his fighting spirit waning a little.

Daichi smiled sadly. “I know, but as guild leader I have to weigh the risks of sending each of us into this battle. Volunteering is only half the choice, Yaku was the first to raise his hand and I know he can handle anything thrown at him, Tanaka is the same in that regard. Both of them are stubborn and won’t give up without a fight, a fight that makes most people turn tail and run for the hills.”

“But I don’t?”

“You can fight on a different front,” Daichi stepped forward and put his hands on Hinata’s shoulders. “You can sense things the rest of us can’t, you’re gifted with Hēishān’s guidance and abilities beyond anything the rest of us could hope for.” He smiled. “The time will come when we turn to you and only you to lead us out of danger, train your abilities so when that day comes you’ll be ready.”

Whilst it wasn’t what he had come searching for, Hinata found himself nodding in agreement. Deep down he knew that he wouldn’t be as nearly as effective on this job as the others but he was tired of being left behind. The griffins and Hēishān both kept reminding him he had a bigger part to play, he just wanted to know what it was already.

“Okay.” He murmured. “I understand.”

Daichi gave him another smile. “I hoped you would, besides Tooru might have other jobs for us to do, or Tobio even. Don’t count on this being the only task. Heck, you could probably still go and visit your family, take Kenma with you or Suga.”

The idea of going home filled Hinata with a calm sense. It would probably help distract him from the chaos that was threatening to rain down on them any moment.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “That’s a good idea, I’m sure Kenma will love Natsu!”

Daichi nodded and let Hinata go, waiting until the other was running down the stairs to the common room to let out a sigh. He turned his attention back to the letter he had shown Hinata, Misaki’s latest report wasn’t exactly comforting to say the least;

_'Sawamura, you were right to be cautious of Kei. As soon as you told us he had broken out of Hokubujōsai I sent for word from our contacts around the region._   
_All that came back was more confirmation that he’s involved in far too many acts of banditry. One of our boys claims he’s in with the Serpents themselves but we’re looking into it still, Yuji has taken his ship around the western coast to try and flesh out some more information._

_The other more troubling news I have is that the Serpents are not just targeting Kuroo now, at least not in the sense that he’s the only one they’ll attack. We intercepted plans to bring down your Brotherhood as a whole as a way to flush Kuroo out of hiding._

_Tread carefully Sawamura, there’s no telling what they’ll do to your brothers if they’re caught. We’ll feed what information we find to you as fast as our crow flies.’_

He didn’t want to tell the others so explicitly that they were all in danger, he figured they knew that already, but it was painfully obvious now that any clashes with the Serpents could and would end in someone being taken hostage. The last person he wanted them getting their hands on was Hinata, gods only knew what the outcome of that would be.

Slipping the letter back into the pile, he paced over to the window that overlooked the courtyard below. They were safer here than they were at the old guild, that he was sure of. But he knew that orders from Tooru wouldn’t take long to arrive and shatter the peace they had found.

 


	60. Hēishān's Prophecy

**LIX**

**Hēishān's Prophecy**

 

The iron gates of the fort slowly rose as the war horse approached, bright blue banner catching the wind as the rider ducked beneath the spikes. The horse came to a halt as Kunimi met them in the courtyard, the snow flurries swirling around them in the brisk breeze.

“Made it before sundown, nice going.” Kunimi nodded in greeting as the rider dismounted. They pulled their hood down to reveal the familiar brown hair of House Oikawa’s mage.

“Eh, this horse isn’t too bad.” Shirabu shrugged. “But his majesty wanted the letters delivered as quickly as possible.”

Kunimi nodded again, gesturing to the large doors of the tower. “They’re expecting you, I’ll see to the horse.”

Shirabu took his leave, adjusting the leather satchel that hung from his shoulder as he made his way to the tower. The doors opened easily, the warmth of the fire greeted his tired body. Daichi met him in the middle of the room with a firm handshake, the rest of the guild were gathered around the fire, equal parts curious at what news he brought and happy to see him once more.

“Come and eat first,” Daichi told him, guiding him towards a space on one of the benches “the news can wait.”

After being handed a bowl of stew, Shirabu relented and allowed himself to forget about the duty he had. There was an upbeat mood around the fire, one of hope for the growing season that wasn’t far away and relief that things seemed to have calmed down.

“How are things?” He asked Akaashi, the one sat closest to him and also one of the only ones not caught up in a conversation already.

“Quiet,” was the reply “we’re a lot further away from the settlements here than we were before.” He smiled slightly. “It’s nice, we’re not always looking over our shoulders out here.”

“Good, I trust Tobio is keeping you in the know with what the alliance is deciding.”

Akaashi nodded. “Soldiers are being rallied and brought to training camps.” He dropped his voice to a quieter tone. “Tobio is slightly reluctant to force them into the army, he’s waiting to see how many Tooru can call up.”

“Tooru has headaches of his own.” Shirabu murmured, swirling the remnants of the stew around. “He and Iwaizumi have had more than their fair share of arguments recently.”

“Arguments…”

Shirabu glanced around the group, no-one was listening in to his knowledge. “Iwaizumi thinks we’re not ready for war, Tooru may or may not agree but he has to be seen to be doing something. They’ve raised voices at one another more than once over it.”

Akaashi nodded, getting a sense that The Brotherhood’s break from travelling was going to be interrupted by whatever orders Shirabu had brought with him. The conversation was dropped for a while, the warmth of the fire putting them at ease whilst the rest of the guild ate and drank into the late evening. Eventually however, the reason for Shirabu's visit was brought up.

“Okay then,” Daichi sighed as the others fell silent “what does Tooru want from us?”

Shirabu reached into his satchel and brought out two letters, one addressed to Daichi and the other to Kuroo. “I think you’ll find these come from both kings, not just one.”

Puzzled by the remark, Kuroo opened his, the parchment bore the coloured seals of both houses; the red phoenix of House Oikawa and the orange dragon of House Kageyama. He scanned the words carefully inked by Tooru’s hand, his brow furrowing as he read.

“I’m to go to the south of the Kingdom of Oikawa?” He asked, looking up at Shirabu. “But what about the Serpents?”

Shirabu looked to Daichi to break the news to the other. Daichi steeled himself for the inevitable argument.

“Tooru wants only ‘two or three’ to venture north and those sent must be able to remain composed regardless of what they see, hear or do.” He bluntly stated, meeting Kuroo’s gaze with his own serious expression. “He knows of your reputation of jumping into the thick of things and he doesn’t want Daishou dead, it would cause an outbreak of war that no-one is ready for.”

“So I’m being sidelined?” Kuroo stated, waving the letter around. “This is just a fancy ‘keep out of the way’ order.”

“No.” Daichi replied. “You’re going south to fix the mess you made years ago, the villages that the Serpents pillaged and kidnapped from? You’re going back there to intercept and halt any more ships attacking.”

“The mess I made?”

Shirabu swallowed as Daichi looked like he was going to have to drag Kuroo outside to take this conversation further. No-one else dared to say anything at first, unsure of how Kuroo was going to react to anything at this stage.

“You may not have made it,” Kenma spoke up “but didn’t you once say that you wanted to get them back for everything they’ve done?”

“As far as we know,” Yaku added, “shipment #444 is still being carried out.” He met Kuroo’s gaze. “You could stop it once and for all y’know.”

“How? Taking out one ship isn’t going to stop it.” Kuroo snorted. “I burned the manifestos once before, it didn’t stop.”

“That’s cause you didn’t have a plan or an entire guild of lunatics to help you.” Bokuto wrapped an arm around Kuroo’s shoulders. “Here’s the plan; you get onto the ship, you take the captain hostage - or kill ‘em, doesn’t matter which - you sail the ship back to wherever the Serpents commander is and then you end it all.”

“That’s an insane plan.” Yaku scoffed.

“Yes, yes it is.” Kuroo hummed.

“But if anyone could make it work, it would be those two.” Suga dryly stated. “And whilst they’re occupying the Serpents in the south, we go north and find out what the deal with with the northern territories uniting again.”

Shirabu glanced to Daichi to get an idea as to whether any of this was actually a legitimate plan of action. The guild leader was stroking his chin as he scanned his own letter.

“Yes.” He uttered, looking up from his letter. “That’s a starting plan at least.”

Kuroo seemed a little unsure but nodded slightly, allowing the others to sigh in relief. Shirabu wasn’t sure if this was legitimately a plan they were considering or not. He decided he was probably better off not knowing, at least for now.

“In any case,” he broke the silence “I’ll tell his majesty that you accept?”

Daichi nodded. “We’ll prepare to leave as soon as the snow melts. We can’t travel whilst there’s so much snow around.”

“So give or take three weeks, got it.” Shirabu rose to his feet. “I’ll be on my way.”

“Hey now,” Bokuto argued “it’s the middle of the night! At least stay 'til morning.”

“Agreed.” Kiyoko nodded. “It’s no trouble to us.”

Shirabu seemed caught in the moment. “Sure…I guess?”

Hinata seemed to perk up. “Oh! Let me show you the mage tower.” He sprung up from the bench he was sat on and took Shirabu by the hand. Regardless of what the other thought, Hinata proceeded to drag him to the mage tower. The chill in the air didn’t catch either of them off guard as the heavy oak door swung open. Candles flickered in the movement of air, Hinata beamed at Shirabu as the visiting mage took in the impressive structure rising up into the sky.

“Is that a hole in the ceiling?”

“Yeah,” Hinata shrugged “the birds like it.”

Shirabu raised an eyebrow. “Uh huh, what’s so special about this tower then?”

Hinata cocked his head to the side. “You…don’t feel it?”

“Feel what?”

There was a pause as Hinata pouted a little. The surreal feeling he had picked up on when he first arrived had returned in recent days with no real explanation. There hadn’t been any visions to speak of, no voices of guidance either. There was just an odd skin crawling sensation in the air that no-one else seemed to feel, if they had sensed it then they weren’t saying so.

“It’s just a tower.” Shirabu shrugged.

“It’s not.” Hinata uttered, holding out his hand and summoning his flames. The bright blue light that should’ve been red made Shirabu’s eyes widen. “Something weird is here and I don’t know what.”

“And what do the other’s say?”

Hinata shook his head, the flames vanishing. “Noya hasn’t stepped foot in here yet, Kenma just shrugged when I asked him and Akaashi didn’t say yes or no.”

“So it could just be an aura mage—”

“No.” Hinata shook his head again. “I’m sure there’s…it’s not just me.”

Shirabu wasn’t sure what to make of it really, he hadn’t seen flames burn blue before. He found it doubtful that Hinata would be the only one to notice it, but realistically if none of the others could pinpoint the same feeling, who was to say it wasn’t just an aura mage thing?

“Have you asked Hēishān?” He asked. “Like, isn’t there a way to call him for answers or something?

Hinata shrugged. “Never tried.”

Shirabu sighed. “Okay, well lucky for you, there might be a way. Go and fetch Kenma and I’ll figure out how we’re gonna do this without causing a catastrophe.”

 

* * *

 

 

Candles flickered as Kenma set the final one in place and summoned a flame to light it. The eight candles lined the conjuration circle Shirabu had drawn onto the floor of the tower in chalk. They had decided to not exactly inform the rest of the guild about this evening’s activity, it felt better to leave them out of it. The only other person presiding over the ritual was Moniwa, journal in hand to record any and all notes that would be needed for the future.

“Okay, so this is all about your ability to focus Hinata.” Shirabu instructed as Hinata stood at the foot of the circle, the chalk lines crisscrossed within the circle leaving a square in the centre. Each of the candles had it’s own semi-circle of protection and each of them were connected by another chalk line forming a thicker barrier inside the circle.

“Focus on what?” Hinata asked, watching Kenma draw a sloping ‘F’ shape at the top of the circle just inside the barrier and Shirabu putting the finishing touches to the symbol mirroring it at the bottom; an upside down triangle with a cross extending from it.

“For this to work, you need to charge the circle with your uh…blue flames and focus solely on calling Hēishān forth to speak.”

Hinata tilted his head to the side. “I called him once before without all this.”

Shirabu sighed. “Yes but that was a very emotionally charged moment, this is not. Therefore you need some help with directing your powers.”

Kenma stood back from the circle and nodded, Shirabu took his cue to stand back and gesture for Hinata to confront the circle. With the odd feeling in the room not lifting, Hinata stepped forward and summoned his flames. Shadows danced around the room as the flames roared along the thick barrier of the circle without prompting. He allowed his eyes to close as he thought to the spirit of House Kageyama.

His fingers twitched as the sound of the flames blocked out anything else. Darkness awaited as he cleared his mind of any thoughts that tried to plague him. He needed to hear Hēishān, he needed answers, a sign of where to turn next, how to help his brothers and the kingdoms they call home.

The seven colours swarmed his vision light fireflies dancing in the night sky; red, blue, orange, green, yellow all swirling as one vortex. The two shades of purple were slower, there was a much older feeling to them, almost as if they were more deep-rooted in the land of which he stood.

“ _You alone are destined for great things._ ” A deep voice murmured, not that unlike Hēishān but not immediately familiar either.

He breathed slowly, watching the swirling colours for a moment as the came together as one ball of light. There was a sense of calm as he opened his eyes and saw the incorporeal form of the serpent-like dragon floating in all its glory within the circle. The blue flames roared around it within the barrier as golden eyes fixed on Hinata.

“ _You have summoned me_.” It spoke, voice echoing off the walls of the tower.

“Y-Yes.” Hinata momentarily forgot how to speak. “I did.”

“ _For what purpose?_ ”

Now he had the dragon here, asking about an odd feeling in the tower seemed stupid. He decided to pick it’s mind about other, much more important matters instead.

“You and the griffins told me that I have a bigger part to play in this ‘battle’ ahead. When will I know that it is time? When will I know I’m ready?”

The dragon shimmered in the light of the fire. “ _You will know because you will feel it in your being. Much still hangs on the actions of others Shoyo, we cannot tell you the time or day, just know that it is approaching faster than you think._ ”

“But—”

“ _Trust in your instincts. Go where you think you are needed most and your actions will help shape the future._ ”

Hinata bit on his lip, it seemed that the cryptic murmurings of the spirit weren’t getting much simpler beyond that.

“Answer me this, before you go,” he watched Hēishān tilt his head to the side in curiosity “will the Brotherhood be a deciding factor in the times ahead, or will it be solely up to Tobio and Tooru?”

There was a long pause as Hēishān seemed to think it over. The flames were catching on the chalk lines as time went on and Shirabu was looking slightly worried about the concept of an incorporeal dragon being let loose.

“ _There will be five parties in total who will shape the future. Five parties will come together to sever the head of the Serpent that plagues this realm. Though how these five come together is yet to be decided, many choices lie ahead for those involved and you will aid them in making those choices. Though a word of warning young Shoyo,_ ” he paused, letting Hinata take in the new information “ _these will not be easy choices to make._ ”

Before Hinata could ask for any elaboration, Hēishān’s form shimmered and faded from sight. The blue flames of the circle whipping as an invisible force moved them. He called for them to vanish, leaving the white candles of the circle to illuminate the room.

Silence fell, Hinata’s body already felt the strain of conjuring a god-like creature forth as Kenma approached and took him by the shoulders.

“You okay?” He asked quietly.

Hinata nodded. “I think I need to lie down,” he murmured as he clutched his head. Kenma nodded and told Shirabu to start cleaning the chalk away whilst Moniwa recorded what was said in his journal.

With the evidence of the ritual being cleared, Kenma took Hinata up to the small room they shared above the armoury. It was the smallest of the quarters, barely big enough to fit a large single bed but as they were both small in stature and used to sharing body heat, it was perfect for them. A small shelf was adorned with runes stones and other small trinkets whilst a chest took up the remaining floor space. Lev often slept in their room if he wasn’t prowling around the fort in search of rats or following Yaku’s every move, that night the large fluffy cat was curled up on top the chest where some fur-lined jackets had been left neatly folded a few hours ago.

“Did Hēishān give you any comfort with those answers?” Kenma quietly asked as Hinata lay on the bed.

Hinata sighed. “Kind of?” He took Kenma’s hand in his and tried to organise his thoughts. “Five parties…that’s us and the two kingdoms at least…”

Kenma nodded. “Possibly the empire?”

Exhaustion was starting to gnaw at Hinata’s mind, his eyes were dropping as he thought about the conversation. Kenma remained by his side until he drifted into a deep slumber, watching his calm expression for signs of unpleasant dreams before quietly slipping away.

He didn’t get very far before he found himself being interrogated.

“So you let Hinata summon a dragon in the mage tower.” Bokuto remarked, startling Kenma as he rounded the corner to return to the main tower.

“Uh, well yes.” Kenma replied. “He needed answers.”

Bokuto raised an eyebrow. “Don’t we all Kenma.” He wrapped an arm around Kenma’s shoulders, getting a slightly irritated look form the other. “Anyway, this is about Kuroo.”

“Of course it is,” Kenma sighed “continue.”

“Do you want to accompany me south with him? Akaashi will be there too, but I want a fourth person to make it even.”

Kenma wrinkled his nose. “I don’t do well on boats.”

“True, but you do well with Kuroo.”

Kenma hummed, the conversation Hēishān just had with Hinata popping to mind. “What about Hinata? He’s eager to help but Daichi won’t let him go north.”

Bokuto seemed to consider it for a moment. “Hmm, could work I suppose…he could show no restraint with his powers if we’re taking on the Serpents anyway.”

“That’s…not what I had in mind but sure.”

Bokuto chuckled, patting Kenma’s head. “I’ll see what Kuroo thinks, we’re trying to keep it as relaxed as possible, like no massive party of mercenaries, y’know?”

“Good luck.” Kenma snorted. “Subtlety isn’t Kuro’s forte.”

“Neither is it mine, but here we are.” Bokuto shrugged as he let Kenma go. “Well imma hit the hay, gotta use this cold season to upgrade everyone’s armour before we all wind up in fights to the death in the growing season.”

“Such optimism,” Kenma remarked as he watched Bokuto move towards the line of doors leading to different quarters “glad you’re on our side.”

Bokuto flashed him a grin before disappearing into his quarters, leaving Kenma to ponder about sending Hinata with Kuroo would be a good idea or not. There was every chance that it could go horribly wrong, but Hinata was so desperate to help the guild’s current predicament that it was beyond cruel to keep denying him the chance to do so. Like it or not, Hinata was powerful and the power he wields at his fingertips could vastly change the outcome of the challenges they faced.

He may not be allowed on the battlefield, but Hinata was a warrior in spirit and in his heart, and Kenma knew all too well that people like that don’t show up nearly often enough in the world. It would come as no surprise to him if Hinata became the beacon of hope in the troubled times ahead, that not only his powers play an important role in the tides of war but his stubborn nature to always do the right thing altered the outcome, no matter what it ultimately cost.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be an epilogue, I just need to edit it a little bit before posting!


	61. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

He kicked the door open, not paying mind to the two guards that flinched. His face ached, the scratches had scabbed over now but they still hurt when touched. He glared at the recruits who stared at him as he stormed through the large hall. Crates and cages were piled up around the old temple’s great hall, different trading guild badges adorned them, the prizes for plundering ships off the western coast needed to be sorted from the worthwhile to the worthless.

“What the hell happened to him?” a whisper went up, he ignored the urge to draw his blade on them.

“Looks like he got into a fight with a bear.”

“Nah surely not? He was only sent to—”

He wheeled around to meet the gaze of those who were gossipping rather than working. “Don’t you have orders to follow?” he barked, sending them scrambling to avoid his wrath. When he was certain they were no longer wasting time, he continued on his way to the commander’s quarters.

He steeled himself at the door this time, waiting for the guard to open it upon him knocking. He righted his posture as he entered the room, meeting the gaze of the other who served alongside him; a guy with short dark brown hair and a sleepy looking expression usually graced his face. Today however there was a small smile on his face which he tried to hide by coughing.

“Go ahead, laugh.” He uttered.

“What happened Eita?” The other asked as he managed to keep his laughing to a minimum.

“I broke into their guild, found Kuroo’s lover, held him hostage…everything was _fine_.” Semi scoffed, trying not to get too irate so quickly. “And then right when I had him where I wanted him, this fucking demon of a cat launched itself at me!”

“A cat did that?”

“Ennoshita I don’t need your sass.” Semi glared at the other.

“Hey now, it looks nasty okay?”

Semi rolled his eyes. “Well it _feels_ a lot worse!”

“When you two are done bickering…” Another voice joined the fray, making Semi internally groan. “We have other matters to attend to.”

“Tendou,” Semi sighed “get out of the shadows and get to the point.”

A low chuckle came from the gloomy corner of the room, a taller male with spiked up hair emerged from the shadows. His fingers were stained red with blood, matching the colour of his hair. Semi felt the same old spine-tingling feeling creeping over him as he stood in the other’s presence.

“Well, you were meant to bring our lost brother back.”

Semi scoffed. “Listen here, does it _look_ like that all went to plan?” He gestured to his injured face. “It was going fine until—”

“Until my little Semi-Semi got hurt by a kitten.” Tendou pouted, leaning down and cupping Semi’s face, much to the other’s disgust at the stench of blood. “Looks like I’ll have to finish what you started.”

“Like hell.” Semi pulled back and looked to Ennoshita. “You’re in charge of the shipping operation right?”

“Uh…yes.” Ennoshita nodded. “What about it?”

“Get me on a ship east. It’s time we spread a little chaos in Tobio’s domain. We’ll draw Kuroo out and I’ll drag him back here myself,” he glared at Tendou “without _your_ input.”

Tendou smirked. “My Semi-Semi _does_ have a backbone.”

“And tell Daishou that Kei forgot to mention that they have a freaking demon cat in their midst.”

Ennoshita chuckled slightly. “Duly noted.”

Semi snorted as he turned and made his way out of the room, leaving the other two to bicker about other plans being put into motion. He wasn’t going to let Tendou settle the score with Kuroo, not when he was the one who brought the good-for-nothing idiot into their fold in the first place.  
  
No, this became personal when Kuroo spat on their friendship the day he turned rogue, and Semi Eita was the one who was going to put an end to it.

 

_To Be Continued_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to wish you all a Happy New Year wherever in the world you are and say a massive thankyou to all of you who have joined me on this crazy journey of writing throughout 2018! It's been a long year and 2019 promises to be just as hectic!  
> I'd also like to extend an extra thankyou to my regular readers who comment on nearly every update, you guys mean the world to me and your never-ending support drives me forward in my low periods!
> 
> Part 3 of this series will hopefully be up by MAY, but it'll depend on work schedules and how well the planning and plotting process goes.


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